Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1913 — Governor Permits Cigarette Bill to Become a Law. [ARTICLE]

Governor Permits Cigarette Bill to Become a Law.

When the governor Friday permitted the anti-cigarette bill to become a law without his signature he pleased the W. C. T. U. of the state, which supported the bill. The governor eclared that this bill had given him more worry than any other dozen bills sent to him for action. “The beer bills did not bother me,” said Governor Ralston, “for I had my mind made up as to what I would do with them, and I simply put them out of my mind to such a time as I might be called upon to act on them. But this bill qn-cigai-ettes, with a provision which would brand as a criminal a high school boy who buys a package of cigarettes, I have worried over a great deal.

„“I have tried to look ahead tn this matter. It is a very serious thing to place an indictment or a criminal charge against a boy. Take for example, after the boy. thus branded has grow 1 ® to manhood. Say he is called s a Witness in court. One of the questions most likely to be asked of him will be as to whether he has ever been indicted or convicted of any offense. Suppose he has been charged, in his Irresponsive and indiscreet years, with buying or accepting a cigarette. Is that a crime worthy to go of record? Is that a thing to -be classed with other indictable offenses? Yet there it would be as an impeaching element against the man, regardless of its insignificance and regardless of the fact that it was recorded in his salad period and in his time of boyish frailty and folly. “It was my judgment that the bill was too drastic. Yet the good people who fought for the enactment of the bill held that they could not get at the evil of cigarette smoking in any other way.l They argue that they have tried less drastic measures and have failed to solve the problem. I did not get to the bill in time to sign it within the limit of days required by the law, and 1 do not care to veto a measure in which the legislature has sought to remedy evil conditions.” A school bill signed yesterday is that by Yarling, which provides that children under 16 years old shall either go to school or work. The measure is intended to solve the problem of .the boy over 14 who leaves school, but who does not at once find employment.