The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-09
HOBBS ON CIGARETS
Evangelical Minister Answers Sergeant
Rice on Tobacco Evil.

Rice on Tobacco Evil.
It is in justice to Sergt. C. A. Rice
and to myself as well as to all con-
cerned, that I reply to the sergeant's
article in the Tuesday evening State
Journal, in which he purposed to
quote from my sermon delivered to
the down town" church people on
Sunday evening, August 3.
Before doing so permit me to say
that in no sense is this article to be
construed as a belligerent act toward
the sergeant. When I am thru, 1 be-
lieve the sergeant and 1 will not be
so far apart as it now seems.
No one esteems "our boys who
went over" with any higher regards
than the writer. I say all honor to
our brave boys who faced the enemy
on the battlefield and on the high
seas. and who today bear the marks
of the great conflict.
In justice to the sergeant. permit
me to say, that II he was present and
heard my remarks pertaining to the
cigaret evil, he did not get me-" as
the boys say; but IL he was not pres
ent, and someone reported to him,
they did not report correctly, Tor
there are some things mentioned in
his article that did not say, nor did
I intend to gay. But there are a few
what I said. I spoke on the subject
of Christian Standard" and treated
the subject from religious moral
standpoint.
In the first place. the sergeant
quotes me as saying, THE people who
contribute to the funds to send the
cigaret to the boys over there were
unpatriotic" did not say that, nor
did I convey that thought. But did
say, IF true patriotism consisted in
I ~ 49, hnr1
they would have to classify me with
the unpatriotic." For as a christian
man, could not contribute to such
fund. You will fiEd my portion in
other war work for the boys.
The sergeant goes on to say, That
the cigaret did more good than any
article sent to the boys by the home
folks" This assertion is astounding
| to me. For do not believe that boys
| Gin generaD esteemed the little old
| cigaret above any other article that
mother or sweetheart sent them. 1
| esteem our boys too highly to think
| that of them.
Again. he says. THAT the people
who sent flags overseas are the peo-
pie that the greater majority of the
| of their hearts" 1 do not contend
that the boys who used the flag" were
not thankful but my contention is
| that, the cigaret was a detriment to
/ every one that used them, basing my
assertion upon religious, moral, scien-
tific, and medicinal principles.
| Referring to the last article I am
requested to name ten boys of To-
! peka whose health was undermined
by the use Of the cigaret. and at the
same time he acknowledges that IL
| there is one, he was a cigaret fiend
| before he went over" Here he ac-
knowledges the very fact that I am
contending for-that the cigarets are
harmful. 1 declared that the use of
them was detrimental, and the story
some time to come to tell of the re-
| suits of the use of them.
The sergeant refers to boys lying
upon the wet battlefield for twenty or
thirty hours. and that cigarets given
to the boys there helped to save many
a life. 1 cannot see where the me-
dicinal qualities, capable of saving a
life, is found in a cigaret. That savors
too much Of the argument of the
| LIQUOR and tobacco trusts. narcotic
| I still contend that from religious
moral, scientific. and medicinal stand
point that it was wrong to send the
cigaret over"
The narcotic effect in the tobacco
is from the nicotine. and one or two
drops of it placed upon a mans
tongue will end his life in very few
moments. Nicotine is one of the most
deadly poisons known to medical
science.
An American doctor serving lover
there made the statement, that of all
the boys wounded that the boys who
were not using the cigaret. or tobacco
in any form, were the ones to recover
first from their wounds and reach the
front again.
A few years prior to the late war
many noted physicians from all over
the world gathered in England and
their unanimous decision was this
that IL the women used tobacco as
the men do and they interma Try
their children of the third generation