This article appeared in the March 1914 issue of The Oglala Light, which called itself the "Official Organ of Pine Ridge Reservation. A Magazine issued in the interest of all Indians, for all Indians, by Sioux Indians, or so it says. In actuality, Ralph H. Ross, M.D. was the editor and most of the articles dealt more with the "poor, pitiful Indian" than real issues. Yet, like slavery, just because we don't like one aspect of history, we can't pretend it didn't happen. Besides, a few of the articles, like this one, are amazingly in their "timeliness." Who would have thought, in 1914, that the words written by Ross would become so true?
"Will jail boys who are caught smoking."
Marienette, Wis. March 16--A campaign to prevent cigaret(sic)smoking among boys in Marienette was to-day launched by Judge A.E. Davis, of the country court, who asserts that juvenile ofenders invariably smoke and that smoking alone is responsible for a big percentage of juvenile crimes.
The judge proposes to punish all cigaret smokers brought efore him, even if he is obliged to hand out 30 days sentences, which is permissible under the Wisconsin law.
He will ask District Attorney Miller to co-operate with him and prosecute all tobacco dealers who violate the Wisconsin law, which prohibits the sale of cigarets except in original packages."
The above clipping taking from a daily paper thoroughly agrees with what we have contended in regard to cigaret smoking among the Indian boys. If the South Dakota law prohibiting the sale of cigarets and cigaret paper could be enforced on this Reservation, it would certain better the mental and physical welfare of the Sioux Indians. But unless there is absolute prohibition of the sale of cigarets and cigaret paper the use of them by Indian boys from seven years up cannot be prevented, as the majority of the elder Indian are ignorant and do not know what an injurious effect the consumption of tobacco has on the growing child.
It was just the other day that an Indian Trader said to me, "Don't blame me if you catch your boys smoking. I refused to sell tobacco to three of them this morning and a little while ago I saw they had cigarets...must have got some grown Indian to buy them." We would like to start an anti-cigaret crusade, not only because we believe as Judge Davis of Wisconsin does that they are responsible for a large percentage of juvenile crimes, but also because we believe there is no single habit that weakens the Indian's constitution and more predisposes the Indian yout to tuberculosis than cigaret smoking. It is a very insiduous habit and the Indian boy, if he once contracts the practice and has the were-with-it-all to get them, will not stop with one box but will smoke two, three, four or half- dozen boxes a day and any youth who keeps his body saturated with tobacco and nicotine weakens every organ in his body, especially his heart and lungs, and he is bound sooner or later to reap what he has sown.
Since writing the above (the editor added) we noticed the following news item in a Chicago paper. It can be seen that the cigaret habit is pretty hard to break, especially if one does not have the mental or physical strength to do it.
The aricle cited reads: Fifteen Take Cigaret Cure Battle Creek, Mich, March 23---Fifteen men, including two lawyers, two newspaper men, and one or two business men of prominence, took the first nitrate of silver cure for cigaret smoking ever given in Battle Creek. The Y.M.C.A. is backing these anticigaret clinics, one of which will be held every week.
Amazing, isn't it, to read these words, written more than 80 years ago. Even more amazing, while aimed directly at youthful offenders, this writer seems to have foreseen the future for all, predicting the dreadful results of "cigaret" smoking on our nation.