246 TOBACCO 



and popular divine, who entirely repudiates all 

 narcotic stimulants while engaged in his minis- 

 terial duties, frankly admits that when off duty he 

 now and then smokes a cigar. It may seem pre- 

 sumption in me to comment on this apparent 

 inconsistency in so devoted a pastor and so excel- 

 lent a man, especially as it is claimed that such an 

 example illustrates the power of self-government. 

 But would not the entire subjugation of this habit 

 show a far higher degree of self-government? So 

 conscientious is this divine, that I verily believe, 

 if he would look on all sides of the question, he 

 would no longer stand on dubious ground, but 

 would place himself in the sight of all men in the 

 most uncompromising attitude towards the tobacco 

 habit. 



"But the poverty-stricken in our almshouses, 

 and the criminals in our jails, prisons, and peniten- 

 tiaries, ought not to be deprived of this comfort. 

 Even some of their overseers approve its use, 

 believing, under the circumstances, that it is a 

 preventive to a worse demoralization." 



Is tobacco, then, to be regarded as an indis- 

 pensable in such institutions, not a few of whose 

 inmates it has been, more or less directly, the 

 means of brinofinor there? And is this deteriorating 

 luxury to be furnished them at the expense of the 

 industrious and the law-abiding? The inmates 

 need every possible reformatory influence that can 

 be brought to bear upon them. Is this such an 

 influence ? 



