2i2 TOBACCO 



especially for laboring men. And now, as the 

 Secretary of the Treasury goes on to say, "The 

 tax upon whiskey could not be repealed without 

 a disregard of public sentiment." 



But how shall we bring about a similar change 

 in public sentiment concerning this poisonous drug? 



Shall we implore the pulpit and the press to cry 

 aloud and spare not ? Thank God for all that has 

 been done and is now doimx ! Thanks for that 

 fearless champion, George Trask, who fought 

 single-handed till he went up to take his crown ! 



The pulpit and the press ! The authorized re- 

 bukers of wrong, the creators of public sentiment ! 

 Sorry am I to be obliged to admit that so many of 

 the moral and religious leaders in the land, — the 

 sJtould-be besiegers in this warfare, — are them- 

 selves among the besieged, that it is considered 

 too delicate a subject to be dealt with uncompro- 

 misingly. One is permitted to walk softly round 

 about it, and to touch it very carefully ; but no 

 sword must be lifted, lest blood be drawn ; no 

 gun fired, lest somebody chance to get hurt. And 

 all this trembling solicitude lest, forsooth, it might 

 possibly reflect on many excellent Christians, in- 

 cluding not a few ministers, elders, and deacons, 

 and thus injure their influence ! But does our 

 Book of books set an example in favor of such 

 delicate approaches? Does it hesitate to make 

 unsparing comments on the most saintly sinners? 

 Not so do we read it. 



