Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-15

Entered as second class matter Oct
ober II. 1903, at the postoffice, Ottum.
wa, Iowa, under the Act Of Congress Oh
March 3, 1879.
FOREIGN representatives: Cone, I.or-
enxen & woodman, Mallers BUILDING
Chicago; 225 Fifth Ave-, New YORK
city: Gumbel Bldg, Kansas City, Mo.
BRISBANE PLAN FAILURE.
The Iowa Press association has just
closed the largest meeting of publish
ers ever held in Iowa. The officers
~ the association in conjunction Win
the Greater Des Moines committee az
ranged 4 program that magnlfcentiy
entertained those in attendance. Inc
report Of the proceedings has oeen
published in the daily papers OF the
state from day to day, but there was
one feature Of the program that is OF
especial Importance to the people OF
Iowa at this time. That Is to say, IL
IL important that 1t be thoroughly
discussed and thrashed out so that
there NAV be no misunderstanding or
material upon which to base a misun-
derstandinx in the future discussions
Of the prohibition law in this state.
That feature was the part of Mr. Bris-
bane's speech that referred 10 pro-
hibiting the sale of liquor.
/ Arthur Brisbane is by virtue OF MS
style Of writing, ability and the fact
that he is editor of the Hearst pub
LEGATIONS. a very prominent man IN
this country. His articles are read by
millions OF readers. He Is said to be
the highest paid editor In the world.
It Is these facts regarding Mr.. Bris-
bane that make his utterances on any
question far reaching, and at just this
time any statement made by him in
person in Iowa on the liquor question
will attract much attention.
Mr.. Brisbane talked on three sub
jects. 1.-The Country Newspapers
prohibition" and preparedness"
The part of his speech about prohibi-
ton attracted the most attention from
his audience. In one of the Des
Moines papers yesterday were some
interviews in which it was said that
no one argued the question with Mr..
Brisbane or asked him to make any
explanation. The fact Is that no one
had time to argue with Mr.. Brisbane,
because before he was through with
his speech he stated that he didn't
want the audience to take up any Of
his time with applauses because he
had to get through as quick as he
could and run for train. He was in
terrupted in his speech by the state
mont that he only had three minutes
more and that if he was going to catch
train he would have to leave, and
he closed his speech and left the hall.
That 10 a sufficient reason why there
was no argument with Mr.. Brisbane
personally.
In the part of his speech about pro-
hibition, Mr.. Brisbane said:
You can enact prohibition but you
cant prohibit.
when you climb the stairs you go
one at time. You don't throw
baby up twenty-five steps at time.
But you are throwing prohibition
twenty-five steps at time.
"You admit that the nation can
smoke and not be injured very much.
You will have to admit that there are
nations that drink without hurting
them very much. Germany and
France are users of alcohol as nations
but have no alcohol problem. Germany
Is compelling it's brewers to make
enough beer for its soldiers in the
trenches to keep them healthy. France
is compelling it's manufacturers to
make enough light wines for its SOL
diers.
II believe that the solution OF the
alcohol problem lies in the use OF beer
and light wines. Their use will kill off
whisky. But to kill off them all at one
time will put this country back on
whisky basis.
Fl quote Thomas Jefferson. He said
he believed the production of beer
and light wines is the solution OF the
liquor problem and the death of
whisky which was killing great per
cent OF our people"
Mr.. Brisbanes theory is that the
people need wine and beer and do not
need whisky, and that law should be
enacted and enforced prohibiting the
manufacture and sale of whisky, but
that the manufacture and sale OF wine
and beer should be allowed and recog-
nized by law. .-.
The very plan that Mr.. Brisbane
advocates was the law OF this state
for more than quarter of century
and proved to be an absolute failure.
Up to the passage Of the mulct law in
Iowa the statute of Iowa, from the or
ganization of the state, prohibited the
sale of whisky and brandy. The law
allowed the sale Of ale. wine and beer.
The mulct law allowed the sale of all
kinds Of liquors and came after the
failure of exactly the law that Mr..
Brisbane advocates.
Mr.. Brisbane stated that he attend
ed school in Paris four years, and was
.he London representative in London
OF a New York paper before he was
81, but for great many years past
had been connected with the Hearst
papers. Therefore, according to Mr..
Brisbane's own statement, his life
has been spent in the three biggest
cities in the world Manifestly those
places of residence have not given him
loto onnr1o inf with