Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-05-31

contains am article on Bavaria and
his Observations Of the making and
drinking OF beer in that country.
This article which he entities A
Temperance Lecture, is as follows:
TOUCHING BAVARIAN BEER.
Writing from Munich, Bavaria, to
Louisville, Kentucky-If the COM
posing room abridges it to Ky"
will masachree the staff of proof
readers when | get home!-is much
like, writing from Louisville, Ken
lucky, to Munich, Bavaria, because
the essential difference between the
two, like that between politics and
parties in the United States, is of a
fluid condition and kind; the lido
syncrasy of Kentucky, whiskey; OF
Bavaria, beer.
There are other similarities. Mu-
mich is the most beautiful city in
Germany, Louisville is the most
beautiful city in America. Vienna
gets its pretty girls from Munich.
Half the pretty girls on Broadway
come from Kentucky The Germans
of Louisville are the best people in
the world. They seem part and par
Gel Of the Germans OF Munich.
don't know much about whiskey,
have never drunk enough OF it to
learn-they tell me the Kentucky
brands are the best ever and I can
we'll believe 1t. taking the Kentucky
women and the kentucky horses az
tho worlds standards Of excellence
but / amaan expert on beer, and I
DO without the peradventure Of
a doubt, or fear OF successful con-
tradiction there Is no brew
on earth equal to the Bavarian Hof-
brau; howbeit, the especial brew
which Adolphus Busch makes for
Tony Faust. comes near to 1t, whilst
there is good beer to be had in Mil
waukee, In Louisville and even in
Cincinnati, bless her poor old soul.
hope / shall not too greatly Of
fend the Kentucky distfllers, when I
declare that, II had the power,
would translate every distiliery into
a brewery. The cure for drunken
ness, IL there be any cure, is light
wines and lager. The case harden
ed prohibitionists who confessss him
self unable to distinguish between
a glass OF grog and stein of beer
nay, who still further discredits
his Judgment by admitting that he is
unable to realize the amazing con-
traries betwixt a bottle of whiskey
and hole In the grounds as
much opposed to the one as to the
other. He makes no discrimination.
All drinks look alike to him, each
hell-bent and sot-breeding, the most
innocent tipple along with the
strongest spirits. The experience OF
continental Europe is proof of my
contention. Here in Bavaria the
beer consumption is universal and
enormous, and there is no drunken
ness of the sort so common with us.
i am indebted to Consul General
Thomas Willing Peters for a vaiu-
able collation. of facts bearing upon
the drink question from this point
of view.
The laws governing the sale of
beer, wines and liquors in Munich
are in the nature of the people and
the case extremely liberal. Accord
ing to the census of 1905, there were
in Munich 53S,938 inhabitants, all,
or at least very high percentage,
requiring liquid nourishment, prin-
cipally in the form of beer To meet
this need the authorities granted
permission to ,4S0 saloons, in which
beer may be sold; 1870 wine restaur-
ants, eighty-one cafes and eight tea
houses, making am average of one
establishment for the sale of such
refreshments to about 319 persons,
exclusive of the floating population.
Considering that beer is both food
and drink and of universal consump-
tion, this is not high percentage.
Any respectable person making
application to the proper authorities
and securing permission can open a
saloon for the sale of beer; but a
bar whore other liquors as well as