The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1914-12-29

sbaaking act has 70 be amended %
makesI elective
In 8this great case o. the gspeople
tasalnst theED Democratic party. g ind
fthesgreatg leaders Of the party turning
states evidence.
HENRY FoRp's WAR
ON THE CIGARETTE.
When Henry Ford and John Bur-
lroughs visited Tlos. A. Edison last
April at his Florida winte r place,
/ these men in comparing their exper-
fence and observation OF life found
that they had the sams opinion about
1.-THE well known cigarette and its "hab-
Fit" Now Henry Ford has issued a
brochure entitled, 1.-The Case Against
the Little White SLAYER" setting forth
his own and. Mr.. Edison's views On the
subject. Long ago he understood, he
says, that it wal no part OF his busI-
ness to try to reform persons over
les years old, but with boys It is a
different matter. Most boys are tolo
Ito refrain from many things. Seldom
are they given a reason"
When he prepared this pamphlet he
asked Mr.. Edison to put mis- views in.
writing, and he prints a facsimile let
tier In response to this request, SO
short and to the point that it may be.
quoted in full:
From the, Laboratory OF Thomas a..
Edison, Orange, N. T., April i2s, 1914.
Friend Ford: The injurious agent
in cigarettes comes principally from.
the burning paper wrapper. The sub
stance thereby formed is called Aero
LEM" It has o violent action on the
nerve centers, producing degenera-
ton of the cells OF the brain, which
is quite rapid among boys. Unlike
most narcotics this degeneration Is
permanent and uncomfortable. l en-
ploy no person who smokes cigarettes.
Yours, #
THOS. A. EDISON.
"For several years." Mr.. Ford
| states, "Mr. Edison had been expert
menting with combustion of various
substances for the purpose of discov.
erIng a suitable flament for use IN
| incandescent lamps, and it was dur
ing this research that the harmful
results of acrolein we're discovered"
Mr.. Ford has collected a quantity
OF material that leaves little room for
debate on the NOTED question wheth,
err cigarette smoking is physically,
mentally and morally degenerative.
He quotes the principal Of the East
ern High school Of Detroit as declar-
ing that Of all tho difficulties Of the
schools "the cigarette evil is the most
serious with which we have to deal"
selby a.. Moran, for 80 years a teach
er Of shorthand, declares that never
in his experience has he known q man
Il ilo in his earl years be '4A lie.
victim q: the v:s.:. tie habit %r de-
vplrp :r.:o .ms. tbap a third ). tcnTtn
RATE str:l ,grtp'.-t A Nav fa'k.
city magistrate Is quoted as stati.R
tllst tf TIE legs trtween y ano II
win q. -. :s.e;t Tim charge 'S:ls
crime 80 pei cent have their fingers
Idtsfgured by cigarette stains. A lead
! ing authority on neurotic diseases,
DR.. G. B. Towns, of New York, de-
clares that despite the fact that Gig
arctic smoking is the worst form OF
tobacco addiction, virtually all boys
who smoke start With cigarettes.
several Of my young a%cquaint-
| ances," Luther Burbank, the Calltor-
mia plant wizard, states, ARE In their
graves, and there is no question what
ever that cigarettes alone were the
| cause Of their destruction. No BOY
| living would commence the use OF
cigarettes il he knew what a useless.
| soulless, worthless thing they would
make OF HIM"
Henry Ford in the largest autom9-
/ bile factory in the world will not en-
ploy cigarette smokers. The Cadillac
/ Automobile Co. some time ago about
| ed tho same policy and posted public
notices to that effect to steer cigar
ettc smoking applicants for Jobs away
from its doors. The company explain
cd its policy in a public statement IN
which it announced that it had made
a study Of the cigarette evil for sew
eral years and especially upon the
morals and efficiency OF the men In
our employ, and found that cigarette
smokers invariably were loose in their
morals and very apt to be untruthtul,
and we're far less productive than men
who were not cigarette smokers"
one Of the largest employers in
Brockton, Mass, perhaps the greatest
| shoe manufacturing city in the world,
states that II should not consider Q
a minute any candidate for q position
IL | knew he smoked cigarettes" and
he includes men, though it is imma-
ture boys to whom the cigarette Is
deadly. The ]. c. Aver Co, Of Low
ell, has posted a notice that I'VE Will
not employ any young man under Fl
years Of age who smokes cigarettes
this being the immediate result OF an
! investigation the company made OF
.Loir axro amnlnves. Marshall Field