The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-02-16
v. c. |. j. DEPARTMENT
(Mrs. e. Van Hood, Editor)


Every mother-at least every nor
NAL mother-as she stands in the door
and watches her boy away on his first
morning to school, has a vision OF
what she would like him to be, and
makes prayer in her heart that in
the coming years he may have health
and character and success.
And the teacher-if she be an earn
est teacher-aS she looks that hrst
morning into the searching, wondering
eyes of that boy, must utter prayer
in her heart that he grow up wise and
good and useful.
And the 1awmaker in the Legislative
chamber as he votes half the entire
revenue of his state for the free edu-
ca ton of the youths. or champions
| some law to guard and protect them
from evil. must have a profound desire
| in his heart that that boy grow into
self-supporting. law-abiding. patriot
| ic citizen.
All these wishes are one. The busi-
| ness man, the lawmaker, the doctor,
| the teacher. the preacher. the father
above all the mother-are wishing for
| the boy the self-same thing-that he
i be strong and clean and successful.
| 1t is this wish in the hearts of all
the world who care for the boyhood of
today and the manhood of tomorrow
| that Is making them bitter enemies of
the cigarette.
i The war on the cigarette habit is not
f. the mere clamor of professional agi-
tators-a sentimental outbreak of re-
form impulse; but a cool dispassionate,
vital struggle for the very body and
brain and soul of the boy.
| In 903 the state of Missouri enact
ed a law making it a hundred dollar
| fine to sell or give cigarettes or Gig
arctic material to any boy under 1S In
1909 that law was strengthened by an
other making 1T a ten dollar fine for
any boy to smoke cigarettes in any
public place. on any road or street, in
/ any business house or place OF amuse-
ment. And Missouri legislatures are
not given to reform legislation. In
fact evil must be very apparent and
the sentiment against it very strong
and permanent before the Missouri as
isembly Will undertake to curtail the
citizens "hereditary' right to be as
Icussed as he wante to be.
Kansas has a law prohibiting the
sale Of cigarettes in any form to any
body. Almost every state in the Union
has some form of anti cigarette law
designed to protect the boy from the
evil.
| What means all this legisla ton
Merely that cigarette smoking is an
lexpensive and offensive habit? Eating
candy costs money: carrying fish
worms in the pocket Is a disagreeable
habit, but there are no laws prohibit
ing the boys from these.
No, it is not mere matter Of taste.
We can pass over a dozen unpleasant
traits and disagreeable habits in the
boy-we have to-if only they do not
Iseriously injure him. But the fight is
on against the cigarette because it is a
deadly enemy to that supreme wish for
the boy-that he be strong and clean
and successful.
He cannot be strong and use it, No
Ihabitua1 cigarette smoker ever won
any athletic contest.
:, 1t is absolutely impossible for a
lcigarette-smoking boy to grow into
ihealthy manhood.
| DR.. Morgan Clint in discussing the
physiological effects of tobacco in gen
era1 says: "In the anemic, pasty COM
plexioned, undersized weakling called a
cigarette fend' We see the effect OF
tobacco at it's worst-William H. Ham
by.