USE OF CIGARETS BY GIRLS.
By Christian Citizen
THE girlhood of Illinois, as well as the boyhood, is being sacrificed by the use of cigarets. Distressing facts are coming to light as the discussion of the proposed law goes on. A Chicago member of the State Legislature advised those working in the interests of the cigaret bill to visit the low dance halls in the city on Saturday night. Here girls are to be found from fifteen to eighteen years of age. At least seventy-five per cent. of the hundreds frequenting these places, he says, are cigaret smokers, a majority of whom find the need of something stronger, and become addicted to the use of liquor, opium, cocaine, and other drugs. One young woman of whom he told, who began on cigarets, now requires $1.60 worth of drugs a day to satisfy her craving. "Inside of ten years," he said, "at the present rate of increase of the use of cigarets by boys and girls, the parents of the children born will be themselves imbeciles." The girls frequenting places of evil resort are not alone guilty. Schoolgirls, even high-school girls, in a spirit of bravado, often try to smoke, and soon crave the mild exhilaration. From many sources we learn of daughters in respectable homes who are bound by this habit. "Have you any little girls at your house?" asked "Buck" McCarthy of another member of the Chicago City Council, who was opposing in the Judiciary Committee the proposed action of the council in indorsing the bill before the Legislature. "Yes," said the member. "Well, so have I," said this somewhat noted member, "and I heard only yesterday of three little girls living near us who have been ruined by the use of cigarets, and I propose to help these people abolish them, so our little girls, as well as the boys, may be safe." The strong plea made from this unexpected source helped secure a favorable report from the committee. Some heroic measures must be taken, and at once, to help those who are slaves to break the habit, and every help should be given. May God help fathers and mothers to wake up to the danger from this habit among their children.—Christian Citizen.