The Washington times., 1919-02-03

soldiers and others of tobacco about the top notch OF
that fooIshness
prohibition is wOn," says Mr. Billy Sunday ''nOw
for tobacco
Mr. Sunday is perfect being who aims at perfection
for all of u.s. someone suggested that it was sinful to
breathe fresh air. because air contains oxygen and oxygen
is smulant Billy Sunday would do his best to hold his
breath forever and die in the attempt with Ma Sunday and
all the little Sundays.
You admire Billy Sunday for his attitude for he deals
in counsels of perfection and lives life Of perfection
But his theory Of perfection has nothing to do with
common sense attitude the part of those that make laws
or those that WITH THEIR MONEY influence the making
of laws.
In China they do not use tObaccO-but they cursed
with opium Which is better?
In other Oriental countries it is not tobacco but
hashsh drug worse than whiskey and inspiring more
murders Which is better-tObacco hashish?
you pass laws forbidding tobacco which certainly
does no harm morally does cause ruin cruelty your
next STEP of course would be to tell workers that they
must not drink tea or coffee and eat meat The
workers Of India getting cents day do not eat meat
Then if you managed by law to deprive the workman
Of tobacco and meat and tea and Coffee what would be
your next step?
Reform feeds upon its victories and grows intoerant
as they accumulate It has got to to its at
point and the point lies this side of stopping the use
Of tobacco in which of millions find harmless comfort
and pleasure and which they have the right to demand
whether delicate souls dislike it or not
Whiskey is drug and poison 1t has ruined and
Impoverished millions, filed jails and hospitals
But tobacco does not I'LL the prisons make i'm
moral It is mild comforting diversion helping men,
especially the hard workers. forget for moment the
Gullness and hardship of life
WHY TAKE IT AWAY? Do you want to make the
Eorkingmen of the country ABSOLUTELY dissatisfied
snd rebsous? Do you absolutely INSIST upon starting
widespread resentment in this country with eternal and
sending meddlng? Such dissatisfaction is easy to START
remember, not easy to stop.
The man digging his ditch smokes his pipe and is
1econcied to his ackbreakng work The business
lights his cigar says helps his thinking process He
may be right or wrong But it is HIS business not
one ese's. The soldiers with amazing unanmity have
testified to the soothing quetng effects of tobacco under
eli the hard conditions of war; especially when they lie
1ounded waiting for the surgeons knife to help them
Shall MIR. Sundays welmeant sermons some eager
reformer's desire for interfering job take from
ninety per cent of men-who use that
they want that does them harm and that undoubtedly
would be replaced by substitutes infinitely harmful?
You could, with new series of blue laws and new
Constitutional amendment stop the of tobacco undoubt
cdly for smoke reveals the smoker he could not hide
But drugs make no smoke ALI the vicious habits that
would replace the harmless of tobacco would be beyond
the reach of the meddler of the Constitution mender
Men have used tobacco since the days of Elizabeth and
Raleigh without deterioration On the contrary every
man knows that tobacco has been the enemy of drunken
ness and of other)Hices
Those that would start antitobacco crusade
nnocenty with good intentions Mr. Sunday does it. or
ounningly to make good living out of it, others would
Go, is a enemy Of wise living and Of the public
It is that should be stopped short in the be-
ginning.
Ali men viii be pure white angels eventually, doubt
bufO hereOn nd he harro
less thing that you leave to the poor devil whom you
harass with your restrictions is the right let few Of his
troubles 60 up in smoke.
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