Temperance by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 31, 1881

Temperance.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

ANTI-TOBACCO.

UNDER the heading, "A text from an anti-tobacco tract," a daily paper gives an account of an old man in the East, whose clothing was set on fire by his pipe while he was in the woods, and who nearly lost his life in consequence. This instance doubtless created quite a sensation in the vicinity where it occurred; but why should it be taken as a text for an anti-tobacco tract? If there is nothing wrong in smoking itself, then this accident argues nothing against tobacco, but should rather furnish a text against the careless handling of fire. The fact is, the writer of the paragraph knew, as all intelligent men do, that tobacco-smoking is in itself wrong, and thought that this accident would furnish an argument against the practice. But why take this isolated instance as a text? There are thousands of men all over the country, who are burning not only their own clothes, but the clothes of wife and children. Not only this, but they are burning up themselves, scorching their throats, destroying their lungs, deadening their brains, and making themselves obnoxious to decent people. And yet nobody cries "Fire!" How can we stop the conflagration? E. J. WAGGONER.