The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-10-30
DENOUNCED AS The
DOCTRINE OF DEVIL
TEXT OF RESOLUTION ADOPTED
BY STATE w. c. T. US AT DAW-
SON AGAINST TOBACCO FUND.

The press. has been given a copy of
resolutions of protest against the
propaganda for cigarette fund for
soldiers, adopted by the Women's
Christian Temperance Union in its
recent convention at Dawson. The
resolutions are signed by the state
officers of the union, and are as fol
lows:
Whereas, 1t cannot have escaped
our attention that there has been and
continues to be spread over our coun-
try, through the public press and
private solicitation, an apparently
we'll organized propaganda for pro-
viding cigarettes and other forms of
tobacco for our soldiers in France
and
Whereas, This Propaganda has tax
en- a form and spirit bordering upon
hysteria, more violent and lurid in
its published literature than is used
for any of the more worthy and vital
causes now needing funds and ad-
herents. The public press appeals
for funds for this cause as a necesi-
ty, justifying the clear conclusion
from such language that our soldier
boys health and happiness, and even
heroism are dependent upon their
having their smokes; and
Whereas, Even the elect among
Gods good men and women in our
country are sometimes being misled
by this propaganda; and
Whereas, The Georgia Woman's
Christian Temperance Union is pri-
marily body of mothers and home
builders and home keepers. In it's
membership are mothers of many
men now wearing the army khaki at
home and abroad and many more yet
to be called to the khaki and the
colors. So are these mothers the
faithful and final repository of pa
triotism in our land, in that they
keep clean and cleared of all enemies
the inner citadel of the nation, it's
homes. Therefore, this body of
mothers has the right, above all 9TH
ers, to be heard when our boys in
arms, whether our own country's
concerned, no matter from what side
of their natures, their interests, the
welfare of their body, brain or spirit,
from their appetites to their aspira-
tiOns; for the dawn of many of them
first came to us when other people
called it night. The boys heart and
head and hand are the harp of life
whose every chord only the mother
understands and can strike into mu-
sic to make glad the whole land.
Therefore, be it resolved, by the
Georgia Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union, in annual convention as
sembled, That, from the very depths
of our understanding and knowing
mothers hearts, we protest against
this propaganda. and we further pro-
test to the secretary of war against
including, tobacco in any of its forms,
as a ration for our soldiers, because:
First. Tobacco is bad for the boy
and only bad, for his body and brain
and at the last for the morals. The
medical and scientific and commercial
world all acknowledge this.
Second. Such propaganda is a re-
Election upon our army. Business
men who do not want cigarette-smok
ing employees will give and ask funds
to send cigarettes to our nations en-
ployes, as if the nations defense
needs men less capable than does our
commercial stability. We resent such
reflection and say that our boys en-
ployed by our government as soldiers
are the equals of the men employed
by the commercial world.
Third. We denounce as a doctrine
of the devil and the tobacco trust and
their well-meaning, but ill-doing
dupes, the assertion that our boys in
battle must have smokes and dopes
and drinks diabolical before they
have sufficient courage to charge the
enemy's trenches and endure the hor-
rors of battle. We mothers of these
boys faced death without fear and
went down into the valley of the
shadow that they might have life, and
we know that with such life we gave
also something of that courage, and
our boys need no narcotic to supply
from without the courageous and he
roic spirit which they hold even now
and always within their hearts.