Nicotiana 281 



What an amiable spirit would be breathed into the 

 debates ! Political rancour and animosity would 

 vanish before the smoke of tobacco. Party differences 

 and disputes would be welded and arranged under the 

 pipe of peace. Nothing has contributed more to 

 the peace and progress of the world than tobacco. 



Had it not been for Nicotia, the Hispano- American 

 Peace Commission in Paris would have broken down. 

 The delegates began their work without a single 

 point of agreement or of sympathy. Tobacco sup- 

 plied that touch of nature. For the first four or five 

 meetings all was as stiff and formal as red tape could 

 desire. Then said Senor Monteros Rios, the Spanish 

 President : 



' I have observed that the American Commissioners 

 are accustomed to smoking. May I suggest that we 

 join together in our one bond of sympathy, and pro- 

 ceed to light our cigars and cigarettes ?' 



Thenceforth all was clear sailing, and the negotia- 

 tions proceeded without a hitch. 



Bolder spirits of the present day have asked the 

 pertinent question why smoking should not be 

 allowed in church, claiming that thereby congrega- 

 tions would be largely increased. Reference has 

 been made in an earlier part of this work to the laws 

 and penalties attached to this practice on the Conti- 

 nent and in New England. The Puritans did not 

 hold sanctity and smoke, piety and a pipe, to be in- 

 compatible. They smoked freely in church, and 

 without a pipe it is difficult to believe that they could 

 have sat out their four or five hour sermons. The 

 smashing of stained windows and the stabling of 



