The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-10
A ISLANDER ON TOPEKA.

In the Associated Press dispatches is
a statement made by one Arthur Bris-
bane in an address before an assem-
blage of brewers at Milwaukee. 1t was
in effect that he had seen more drunk
enness in Topeka in one day than in
Paris in a year.
Arthur Brisbane is distinguished In
this country because he is king OF what
is termed yellow journalism" ana In
that capacity gets an enormous salary
said to be $50, 900, for looking after some
of the newspaper enterprises of Will
liam Randolph Hearst. Brisbane mas
the reputation of being the leading ex-
ponent in this country of eSratic anu
sensational thought. He wrote eoitor-
ials that would appeal to the Ignorant
Door and the lower classes In new dorA
and other places where the Hearst pa
pers are published. His nimbie pen
was ever crying out the sufferings OF
the poverty-stricken. He was tneir
champion and would apparently have
led them in a bloody revolution against
the welI-to-do and the rich, Wnetner
these were honest or depraved. he mas
been a prime factor in creating the dis
tressing class hatred which exists IN
New York city today. His philosophy
along certain lines is expressed in an.
editorial he once wrote in which ne
declared that it was the highest type
of charity to give a dollar to a penni-
less drunkard who was asking aims
because the whisky he could purchase
with it would do him more good at that
moment and make him happier than
auvfhinp else in the world.
Naturally, a man with such charac-
teristics and thoughts as has Brisbane,
who now looks upon himself as one of
the important publicists of the country,
would. be found just where Brisbane is
hand in glove with the brewers at
their annual convention in Milwaukee
where an effort is being made by the
manufacturers of beer and ale to hood
wink the people of the country by de-
livering themselves of high sounding
words and phrases to the effect that
the brewery industry stands for tenn
perance in the best sense OF the WORD!
Brisbane is there to enrich the brewers
with the experiences of his poverty
stricken and depraved clientele of New
York, the great majority of whom are
now with suffering humanity because it
has been easy for them to. get their
whisky and other liquors.
Is it not natural that such state
ment as is referred to above should
have come from such a man as Bris-
bane? He made this statement as a
citation of the failure of the workings
of prohibition. It's not remembered
when Mr. Brisbane was in this city.
There have been times here when the
law was not strictly en-
forced and when drunken men might
be seen on the streets occasionally. In
making this statement Mr.. Brisbane
leaves the impression that Topekans
are 365 times more Incorporate than
Parisians, a people whose liberal views,
not to say lose morals, are current
among the people Of the earth. Is it
not the height of righteousness? Not
even the people who are unfamiliar
with the splendid conditions which pre-
vail in Topeka will credit it for a mo-
ment. And for Mr.. Brisbane's benefit
it is here said that prohibition is not a
failure when it is properly enforced as
it now is in Topeka and that it is re-
sponsible in a great measure for the
great happiness and welfare which
abounds among the people, the bust
ness, educational, moral and social in
terests of Topeka and the great state of
one of the most pros
porous in the Union.