| Show BLUELAW PRECEDENTS Senator Abel John Evans antismok ing bill twice rejected thrice presented present-ed passed the senate jLaterday by a pf flattering majctiti Doubtless there will be those who are so desirous of a fight that they will criticise this measure as sumptuary condemn i as a blow at a umehon tired habit at an American invention t and at a leading industry of this coun ttj ttjBut the chances are that the senator is piepared for every objection that may be raised to ids pet measure And while there are many adorable things that may be said of tobacco and champion of and Its user the author the bill will doubtless contend that the prr cripIons are not applicable to boys under the age of IS years There have been such laws before The Puritans were very much opposed 1 to he use of tobacco in any form They pi = sed blue laws against It But eventually it gained ground with them Even the devout Quakers of that day I smoked bat there was a admonitory law which required the Friends to partake of tobacco srivatelj and in their own houses in order not to encourage en-courage smoking and make the use thereof excessive jet tobacco was a legal tender in several of the colonies There were statutes in the old codes of several New England states in which were prescribed severe penalties against the use of tobacco in any formA form-A statute dated 1632 forbade the use of tobacco by any person in any place public or private under penalty of a line of one penny for each oifensc This law not proving effective another was passed two years later of much greater seventy All tobacco users were ordered order-ed to discontinue the vile habit Tav ernkeepers were finable five shillings for permitting smoking on their premise prem-ise w hUe the line for every offense in the private use of the weed oven in ones own house was two shillings and six pence for each offense So Senator Evans has a number of precedent for his antitobacco bill It may become a law It may also become be-come a deadletter just as the laws against conspiracy prostitution and gambling are in this city |
