New Britain herald., 1921-01-22
COMMUNICATED.
THE TOBACCO HABIT
To tho Editor of the Herald" Dear Sir:


 May I thank you for your editorial on ''Temper?" It seems to pave the way to a little expression of my own. on behalf of myself and many worthy souls who silently endure in public what they feel they can not cure
 It is self-evident, that the welfare and happiness of society are depen- dent upon mans higher nature pre- dominating over his lower, through progressive moral and spiritual as cendancy. Catering to animality, or gratifying the lusts of the flesh is deSencrating. Sensual habits tend downward, never upward, however much policy in the pulpit condones them: or medical authority plausibly JuStifieS them, as, for instance the nerVe-quieting tobacco habit, which mankind generally tolerate, and so- clety invites as a harmless pleaSura- ble indulgence.
 In the light of pure reason. humans who use tobacco have not even tho Justification of the normality of com- mon animality; for no animal but an educated monkey will smoke: but I doubt that an animal supposed to be beneath a human being, can be found IlldI would ChGW or Snutf.
 The custom of smoking comes to the present from an age which civili- zaton is proud to believe it has out grown. It is one of the relics of SaVag gery, which doubtless had it's. inception in the belief that tobacco fumes were saluhrious: and it's survival in spit of civil ization is due to tho same bar barrie beliefs, with the added belief of civilization that smoking if not oNer-indulged. is quite harmless
 In other words;> so long as a filthy habit gives one a bit of pleasure in- stead of pain, it need not to pro- scribcd by tho profession; and there fore the impious use of tobacco is cncroachinG upon society more and moro. Brazonly fumes of tobacco smoke arc blown into ,he faces of non-smoters in public; and if a courageous man or woman darcs to protest, the chances are always in favor of ones being insulted by the outraged smoker whose liberties are challenged.
 Even if smoking is not considered by the individual smoker as dehasing to himself, woman riding in a pub lie car or bus ought not to be obliged, because the smell of smoke is not only offensive but sickening to her, to remind a man that smoking is pro- hibited.
 Has civilization outgrown the days of chivalry?
 Has smoking killed the finer sensi- blities of the men who are not first thoughtful of women in public?
 The shame, that men, who, by req son of their standing in the com munitN, pass as gentlemen, should not have principle enough to set an ex- ample to the rank and file of thought less men, by rofraining from smoking in public places
 Only the church seems to be free from the pollution of smokers. Our legislature halls arc filled with the smoke which tcstifies to a self-indul- l gence of our law-makerI which ] augurs ill for the moral and spiritual 1 and to enforce them for good.
 From our newspapers we learn i that even our President elect is not l living aboNC the Ciga rettc- habit and | instead of giving an example of ! laudablc self-dcnial to the youth Of !, the world, he hopes merely that e. formers will press their claims wisely l and sincerely.
 As Christians, whether our places l m the world be high or low, we can !! not forget that the admoniti ion Of tho l WaHshowcr is: Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the { meat which endureth unto everlast- ng life.' |
 That at least means that humans ,hould pray for strength to incline upward, naturally, first, at the cx- pcnSc of the most sensual self pleas ng indulGences.
 The world has never been made bet CT hy human weddings who drift With the tide Of sClfishnesS or sem 'uality. Parasites of snciety, tho idle 'iCh, and those rich in worldliness. or. hose who are not Nielding the ruits of the spirits" must some etime eel the condemnation which Christ Jesus pronounced upon the barren | ig tree. when he asked: 'Why 'um bereth is the ground? ?"
 As for women smoking. let me ask: S society more benefited by the wom- n who smoke with the men. or by he women whose womanhood con- trains them to ask men please not n Smnlyc0