The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-08-22
Gig ARETTES ARE
BAD FOR WOMEN
Hits. Woodrow Wilson Has De.
clded Views On Subject.
1 G0MgS1N OF MNES
wife Of Democratic Candidate Gives
out letter Taking Strong Stand On
smoking Habit.

Smoking habit
New York -For the first time since
Woodrow wilson became the Demo
cratic presidential candidate Has Mrs.
Wilson appeared. She attended ia
person her husbands daily conference
with reporters, although heretofore
she has made special requests that
she be not quoted nor written about
in the papers.
That Mrs. Wilson wished to have
fully understood was that II she be-
comes The first lady Of the land she
VII not, as has been said in a widely
distributed interview, have packages
Of cigarettes IA her personal deck al
the White House and indulge 10 smok
fng them with her callers
Through Governor Wilson, Mrs Wn
son asked that publicity be given to o
letter sbe had written to tho editor oi
the State Journal AZ Columbus, o., re
pudiatlng an alleged interview with
ber in which she defended cigarette
smoking for women The interview
bad come to her IN d letter signed
American Citizen" which said:
Dear Madam-I can scarcely think
Of any greater calamity to the young
women of tile nation than to read such
a preachmenf AS your interview offers
them. Lam g workingman, and see
men lose their jobs almost every day
because they are ineapacitated fol
work by the use of the cigarette. II
smoking does this for strong men
what win 1t do for girls and women2
The interview" was indeed cor
dial Endorsement Of the woman smok
er- Here are some Of its assuring
phrases, al credited 10 Mrs. Wilson:
"A woman writer for q syndicate Of
Sunday newspapers asked Mrs. Wood
row Wilson II she agreed with Ger
trude Atherton's opinion Of the smok
ing Of cigarettes by women. She smll
ingly exhibited three cigarette boxes
piled in the corner Of her desk, ali but
empty.
Why shouldn't a woman smoke Il
she enjoys it2' she queried.
"'Why hasn't she just as much right
to cigarette as man? Certainly !
agree with Mrs. Atherton that any
existing prejudice against women
smoking is to the last silly and abb
Burd
Smoking cigarettes is a question
Of manners, not morals. It promotes
good fellowship.
Come women feel that a cigarette
Gains their nerves and helps their
brains into working order Personally
smoking dlfluses my thoughts instead
Of concentrating them. enjoy 1t as
enjoy afterdinner coffee Both are
pleasant Ways Of ending and finishing
off; both add to conyiYiality and good
Fellowship"
The editor of the Ohio State Jour.
nal, It was clear, had been much in.
oensed at the apologies for the cigar
cite habit among women attributed to
Mrs. Wilson, SO he wrote on Aug. 10
an editorial in which he called for tho
defeat Of Governor Wilson or a repu.
diation from his wife. If there was no
mistake about it, he wrote, Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson shouldn't be mis-
tIess Of tie White House"
II tho Ohio editor was emphatic
Mrs. Wilson was certainly not less SO.
After the reporters had said they
would gladly publish her letter to the
Ohio editor she asked for an hours
time in which TO write one. This was
what she prepared:
"Doar slr-I have just received a
copy Of the Iougnal with your editorial
entitled Smoking Women, and I beg
leave to indignantly deny the state
ment that approve Of women smok-
Ing cigarettes The interview upon
which your editorial was based is a
pure invention ! intensely dislike the
cigarette smoking habit for women
IN fact, 50 strong Is my feeling on the
Hgaject that my real danger lies IN be-
ing unjust and unklnd IN my judgment
Of those VINO differ with me in this
respect.
But Certainly no woman Ia our
household ever has Or ever viii smoke.
Quito apart from the bad taste Of it. I
believe with you that 1t has an *.
tnemely Injurious effect on the nerves.
sELLEN A. WILSON
('Airs. Woodrow wilson. y
Governor Wilson. In approving the
letter sent out by Mrs Wilson, offered
what he thought might prove an ex-
PLANTATION for the interview.
do not think it was maliciously
invented" he said. There IS a rather
well known writor who signs herself
Mrs Wilson Woodrow, and she no
doubt has been confused with Mrs.
Wilson"
Mrs Wilson Woodrow was formerly
married to relative of Governor VII.
son, and It Is understood that her
views on the matter Of women who
smoke are different from those held
ID the household Of the Democratic
candidate.