The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-04-23
AN ONO FRIEND WASHES RTE
FLAT. THOSE METHODISTS
MUST QUITE SMOKING.

My Etcemed Friend: Next to
Mark Twain you can write more
things we can laugh at than any
man I know, and you can say funny
things oven when you are mad, but
when you chide "The Burning Bush"
it seems to me you lean to the wrong
side.
Don't you think it correct that
''No true mother would think Of
Offering cigars to her children"
While people might dispute as to
whether there is or is not any reli-
gion in the use of tobacco, there is
certainly q matter of cleanliness,
and that is said to be next to Godl-
ness
l have heard the claim made that
tobacco serves no natural human
want, that the human system repels
it and makes a strong effort to in
ducc the brain Of the individual to
not insist on the use of the weed.
The brain, that is, the WILL concludes
to have the hand put tobacco in the
mouth, the other organs say Stop
that" The stomach voices the pro-
test by getting sick and actually
ejCcting its contents out through
the mouth. So the will has to
struggle with the stomach and
nerves to induce the acceptance of
tho stuff.
I have heard men say that this
struggle lasted in their cases more
than year, but almost always the
viii triumphs, and the stomach and
nerves accept the tobacco finally;
but they have their revenge, for
when once accepted, they are unwill-
ing to do without it, and there is
tobacco-hunger that demands salts
faction every day, and if this is not
granted, there is a Wretchedness
which only tobacco-users know. But
when this artificial hunger for to-
bacco is gratifed, then the system
Tcjoices, that is, the man feels
good" and that is the origin of the
idea that tobacco does man good.
The qualification Of this purposely
acquired unnatural hunger does the
victim good! OF course It does! But
the hunger would not have been
thcor if the victim had not purposely
and with malice-aforethough fast
ened it upon himself against the pro-
test of everything except his will.
A strange kind Of philosophy It is
like purposely getting the itch be-
cause it would do good to scratch!
Besides, it is very expensive. Many
men spend enough to keep a good
life insurance that would be q bless
ing to their families. I know a man
who spent enough to have bought
good home. He still lives in
rented house. And it is a nasty
proposition, for the smoke which has
been in a mans mouth penetrates
the air and goes into your lungs
when you are in the same room with
a smoker and even when you are in
the street. Think Of inhaIing the
tobacco smoke from a "coon's''
mouth.
And when we come to speak of
the CONSERVATION Of the resources
of the good ship Earth there are
not many questions that exceed in
importance that Of tobacco. In the
year 1906 there were 2,175, 100000
pounds grown. Think Of the vast
amount of human labor required to
do this! And also to prepare it for
use and distribute it! If the stuff
satisfies no natural human need and
is not eleyating in its effect is not
ali this labor worse than wasted
One has a right to think so, because
the tobacco plant is a tremendous
r0bber Of the soil. 1t draws nine
different chemical elements from the
soil, and very rapidly eXhausts it's
fertility.
Now if all this labor and this de-