The Bourbon news., 1912-08-30
CIGARETTES ARE
BAD FOR WOMEN
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson Has De.
cided Views on Subject.
AN ERROR IN NAMES,
Out Letter Taking Strong Stand on
Smoking Habit.

New York-For the first time since
Woodrow Wilson became the Demo
cratic presidential candidate has Mrs.
Wilson appeared. She attended in
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.
What Mrs. Wilson wished to have
fully understood was that if she be-
comes the first lady of the land she
will not. as has been said in a widely
distributed interview. have packages
Of cigarettes In her personal desk at
the White House and indulge in smok-
Ing them with her callers.
Through Governor Wilson. Mrs. Will
son asked that publicity be given to a
letter she had written to the editor of
the State Journal at Columbus. O..
repudiating an alleged interview with
her In which she defended cigarette
smoking for women The interview
had come to her In letter signed
American Citizen" which said:
Dear MadamI can scarcely think Of
any greater calamity to the young wom-
en- Of the natisu than to read such a
preachment as your interview offers them.
l am a workiugman. and see men lose
their jobs almost every day because they
are incapac4tated for work By the use OF
the cigarette. If smoking does this for
stroag men what will Il do for girls and
womenf
The "iutarvisw" was indeed q cor
dial Involvement Of the woman smok-
er. Here arc some Of its assuring
phrases. all credited to Mrs. Wilson:
"a woman writer for q syndicate of
Sunday newspapers asked Mrs. Wood
row Wilson IL she agreed with Ger
ing OF cigarettes by wOmea She smii-
ingly exhibited three cigarette boxes
piled in the corner Of her desk, all but
empty.
"'Wky shouldn't weAlan smoke IL
she enjoys it? she QuerSed.
'Vsay hasn't sbs just :as much right
to q cigarette as u lnaE! Certainly
agree with Mrs. Atherten that any ex-
tstfng prejudice aGuinsE women smok-
ing sis to the last silly and absurd.
Smoking cigarettes is a question
of HRanners. not morals. 1t promotes
good fellowship.
"'.Some women feel that a cigarette
caims their nerves and helps their
bruins into working Order. Personally
smoking diffuSes my uhoughts instead
Of concentrating them. | enjoy it as I
enjoy after dinner coffee Both are
pleasant ways Of ending and finishing
Fellowship
Tie editor Of the Ohio State Journal.
it was clear. had been much incensed
at the apologies for the cigarette habit
ameug women attributed to Mrs. Will
son. as he wrote ON Aug. 10 an edito-
rial lin which he called for the defeat
OF Governor Wilson or a repudia ton
freE. his wife. If there was no mis-
take about it. he wrote. Mrs. Wood
row Wilson shouldn't be mistress of
the white House"
If tie Ohio editor was emphatic Mrs
Wilson was certainly 'Eot less SO. Aft
er the reporters had said they would
gladly publish her letter to the Ohio
edfter she asked for an hours time in
which to write one. This was what
she prepared:
Dear Eir-I have just received a copy Of
the Journal with your editorial entitled
Smoking Women" and beg leave to in
Glgnantay deny the statement that l ap-
prove OF women smoking cigarettes. The
interview upon which yOus' editorial was
based is {. pure invention. I intensely dis
ike the cigarette smoking habit for wom-
erin fast. so strong is my feeling on the
subject that my real danger lies in being
unjust and unkipd in my judgment Of
those who differ with me in this respect
But certainly no woman in our house
hoid ever has or ever will sfaoke Quite
apart from the bad taste of it. | believe
with you thEt it has an extremely injuri-
Gus effect OF the nerves.
ELLEN A WILSON.
Mrs. Woodrow Vilson)