The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-01
SCHOOL BOYS AND CIGARETTES.

Every mOther-at least every nor
nal mOther-as she stands in the
door and watches her boy away on
tis first morning to school, has a Wis
ion OF what she would like him to
be, and makes a prayer ir her heart
that in the coming years he may have
health and character and success.
And the teacher-if she be an
T! earnest teacher-as she looks that
first morning into the searching,
wondering eyes of that boy, must Ut
ter a prayer in her heart that he
grow up wise and good and useful.
and the lawmaker in the legisla-
J tive chamber as he votes half the
entire revenue of his state for the
Tree education OF the youths, or
champions some law TO guard anu
protect them from evil, must have \
profound desire in his heart that
that boy grow into a self-suppOrting,
la w-abiding, patriotic citizen.
All these wishes are one. The bus
iEess man, the law-maker, the doc
tor, the teacher, the preacher, the
iather-abOve all the mOther-are
wishing for the boy the self-same
thing-that he 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 tOmOr-
row that is making them bitter enc
mics of the cigarette.
The war on the cigarette habit Is
not the mere clamor of professional
agitators-A sentimental outbreak Of
reform impulse; but cool, dispas-
siOnate, vital struggle for the very
body and brain and soul Of the body.
In 1903 the State of Missouri en-
acted IA law making it hundred dol
lar fine to sell or give cigarettes or
lcigarette material to, any boy under
is. IN 1909 that law was strength
ened by another making 1t a ten dol
lar fine for any boy to smoke cigar
cites in any public place, on any
road or street, in any business house
or place of amusement. And Missouri
legislatures are not given to reform
legislation. In fact an evil must b.
very apparent and the sentiment
} against 1t very strong and permanent
; before the Missouri assembly will un.
, dCrtake to curtail the citizens The.
reditary" right to be as cussed as he
wants to be.
, Kansas has a law prohibiting the
sale of cigarettes in any form to any.
body. Almost every state in the I'm.
ion has some form of anti-cigarette
law designed to protect the boy from
the evil.
What means all this legislation
Merely that cigarette smoking is an
expensive and offensive habit? Eat.
ing candy costs money: carrying fish
worms in the pocket is disagreeable
habit, but there are no laws prohibit
ing the boys from these.
No. 1t is not a mere matter of taste.
We can pass over a dozen unpleasan,
traits and disagreeable habits in the
boy-we have to-if only they do
not seriously injure him. But the
fight is on against the cigarette be-
cause 1t is deadly enemy to that
supreme wish for the boy-that he
be strong and clean and successful.
He can not be strong and use it,
No habitual cigarette smoker ever
won any athletic contest.
1t is absolutely impossible for a
Understanding boy to grow into
healthy manhood.
DR.. Morgan Clint in discussing the
physiological effects of tobacco in
general says: I'm the anemic, pasty
complexiOned. understood weakling
called cigarette fiend' We see the
effect of tobacco at its worst
William II. Handy.