240 TOBACCO 



stay its progress, and, more dreadful still, trans- 

 mitting a heritage of physical and mental disease 

 even to the third and fourth Generation. 



Certain I am that in all the light which science 

 and medicine, experience and observation, have 

 cast upon its character, the cases are exceedingly 

 rare in which an intelligent tobacco-victim is not 

 sometimes disturbed by doubts as to the rightful- 

 ness of the indulgence. Think, then, of the injury 

 to his moral nature from persistence in it ! 



The shutting one's eyes against overwhelming 

 evidence, the poor attempts at justification — who 

 has not witnessed all this? And even where the 

 admission of wrong is clear and abundant, how 

 many fail in their endeavors to reform ! " There 

 is probably no tobacco-user in the world,"* 

 writes Beecher, w who would advise a young man 

 to commence this habit. Yet against all advice, 

 against nausea and disgust, against cleanliness, 

 against every consideration of health and comfort, 

 thousands every year bow the neck to this drug, 

 and consent to wear its repulsive yoke." 



The question presses : How shall we stem, 

 if we cannot turn the mighty current? Shall we 

 petition Congress to pass laws for abating this 

 nuisance? 



But are not many of our wise men and our 

 honorables in both houses in complicity with it? 

 Are they not themselves helping to swell the 

 current? Seeing that tobacco-users form the 

 great majority of voters in both parties in this 



