New-York tribune., 1920-02-09
'wonan's Right
To Smoke, Say
Club Sisters
Action of Methodist Church
in Urging Sex to Cease
Putting Cigarettes Meets
Opposition in Federation
What Next?' Is Question
ssSmoking Nobody's 'sBusiness
but the Individual Con-
cerned,"S Says Mrs. Yawger

clubwomen Of New York strongly OBJ
iected to the appeal published yester-
DAY by the Methodist Episcopal Church
authorities asking women not to smoke
The news spread through the halls. of
the Hotel Astor, where the annual con-
vention of the Federation of Women's
Clubs was being held. and while lovers
from coming up in debate, there was
much discussion in the lobbies.
"After prohibition, what ncXt?" cried
Mrs Eugene Grant, former presiden,
of the federation. at is not ques-
s;on of whether we, as individuals, wisla
N smoke, but whether we have a righ
TO-"
Mrs. John Frances Yawger, anothel
one-time president of the federation
was bit more loquacious in her con
demnation of the appeal.
"Too many mandatory things ar.
being thrust on this country" she said
Il don't believe in laws which contro
ahe private acts of individuals. This
country is supposed to have free speech
and freedom to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. Why does every
body want to take. them away from US
"NObOdy'S Business"
aside from the question of consti
tutional liberty, this matter of women
smoking is nobody's business but tina
Of the individual woman Concerned. l.
smoking is menace to the health O.
women. believe women can be trusted
to know it. No woman is going to al
low anything to interfere with her
hea tn or the welfare of her children
that the reformers are always scolding
her about. ! say that it is time the
men stopped telling women what they
ought and ought not to do and trusted
them q little more"
Another woman put in word about
smoking in foreign countries.
~ never heard that the race had
deteriorated in Eng and where women
have smoked for years." she said. "In
all European countries | have seen
women smoking and | cannot discover
that as race they are inferior to US.
Before went abroad | admit I was
8 young Puritan and | thought it was
terrible for women to smoke, but since
discovered that smoking is not
crime but mere custom, and that all
classes of women smoke in Europe, /
have altered my views. do not smoke
myself. | don't care particularly about
seeing men smoke, but II 1t is all right
for them it is no crime for women
either"
Thinks Men Need Attention
Miss Mary L. Wood, chairman of the
legislative committee Of the federation,
said that there were many worse things
in the world than smoking to which
the Methodist Episcopal Church should
direct it's attention.
II am tired of hearing so much about
the habits of women and their effect
on the race" she said. "lf we paid
some attention to the bad habits of men
which injure future generations the
race would benefit quite as much as
from this excessive safeguarding of
the habits of women. The mental de-
fectives and congenital criminals are
just as much the fathers fault as the
mothers and they are not the fault Of
smoking on the part Of either"
Mrs. Olive Stott Gabriel declared
that until the question of smoking came
Up officially before the convention she
mad no opinion to express.
I'VE never had woman smoke in the
convention" she said, $50 | don't think
We need to worry about it yet"