The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-04
Sarcasm

DR.. Fisher, chief of the Physical
Department of the International
Committee of the Y. M. C. A. and a
member Of the National War Work
Council, has written an interesting
letter to the Secretaries of the various
branches of the association. Hitherto
each branch has permitted, restricted,
or forbidden smoking in its building.
eve all deplore," he writes, "the
great increase in the smoking habit.
eve realized that under war condi-
tons there were extenuating condi-
tons that seemed to make it nee
essary for the association to distrib
ute tobacco. These conditions, how
ever, do not apply to peace times or
civilian conditions"
DR.. Fisher believes, however, that
signs, "No Smoking Allowed" would
be nnadvisable, and that the returned
soldiers and sailors shouldn't be ha-
rangued or the evil effects of smok-
ing. Without too much moralizing
they should be taught what tobacco
does. Posters will be furnished and
the decline of rifle shooters or base
ball pitchers accuracy after even one
cigar will be shown by the record.
With all respect to DR.. Fisher, him
self scientific expert on the work of
the unholy herb nicotine, the educa-
tional campaign which he proposes,
however to be praised for its toler-
mt o17d 1ootInn+ will
against this remaining unslain giant,
twin evil with rum. What a process
sion of counterblasters from James l.
ito the Rev. George Trask of Fitch
burg, Mass, and happy memory!
With what sublime rhetoric of hand
and nose John B. Cough used to draw
plug of tobacco from his pocket,
smell of it as if it were the quintes-
sence of all the roses, cry, "Ah, you
black devil, 1 love you" and fling
the .accursed thing away. You felt
that Satan was routed. Almost you
could hear the Black goat bleat.
Then there was DR.. Dio Lewis, who
pointed to General N. P Banks as
evidence of the spacious intellectuals
which the non-smoker is sure of.
These elder and many younger if not
better soldiers, female and male, of
our own day, too many and too mod
est here to be recorded, have con-
Quoted campaigns of. education
against the Rolled Serpent, the pipe
that poisons and the leaf that kills;
the paper cigar, a foreign interloper
regarded as the mark of "dudes" up
to the Philadelphia Exposition OF
1876, and now, alas! staining the lips
of truckmen and longshoremen ano
imperiling their health; against al
the denominations of the weed Of sin
Vain the effort! More people smoke
Women smoke. Indeed, in some re
grettable parts of the world, children
babes in arms almost, smoke Xix,
Aetna or the Cities of the Plain, ant
the pledge of Little Robert Reel i
forgot.
Moral suasion will not do. Have ou
reformers forgotten that people usee
to "drink" tobacco? It is a brothe
of drink. 1t prevents centenarian
from taking their exercises with tn
Indian clubs and parallel bars tina
are necessary to their health. It is
: poison, like alcohol. It is wasteful
, What is more and most of all, mil
lions of folks get pleasure out of il
Is America to be a country in whic
: folks are to be allowed to enjo
: themselves. Not much. The Nine
! teenth Amendment shoves a saint
! nose above the horizon.-New Yor
= Times.