Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-14
Appee,sINe i've LITERARY pleEs1.

! AUUheSSlNU ms ssts"N"' Ss~ess
The Literary Digest, an excellent d.
gest of the weekly news and events Of
| the week and which is entirely welcome
on merit for this mention OF its useful
ness, has been making a canvass OF
Iowa newspape seeking facts and
opinions as to prohibition in Iowa. 1t
desires to offer it's readers the general
Iowa newspaper view of prohibition.
| 1t is doubtful that any leading news
paper of the state among the daily press
will go OH record as opposed to prohi :,
bition. II is not at all doubtful that the
press of the state, both daily and week
ly. is thoroughly in favor of prohibitio
of the liquor traffic.
Prohibition in Iowa--such prohibition
as the laws of the state provide. may
be truthfully and properly stated as
| successful, The saloon is gone from
the state. The good effects Of it's abo-
ltion are evident to all except those
blinded by self interest or by appetite
to the general interests of the state and
of the people of the state.
The Literary Digest addresses itself
directly to the T.-R. Replying in like
manner the T.-R. assures that journal
that the abolition Of the liquor traffic
has been given practically a FIVE year
trial in this community and in central
Iowa before the repeal Of the mulct law
by the legislature. Prohibition was
successful and is successful Since it
was inaugurated the city of Marshall
town has advanced in public spirit and
cooperative effort upon the part of all
Interests and classes to a remarkable
position. 1t has housed the Y. NJ. c. A.
in a structure notable from one end of
the country to the other as one of the
remarkable buildings of its kind and
character. 1t has built hospitals and sup
ported them. 1t has improved its tran
sit facilities and its public conveniences
And all that has been done has
~'t P'Aio' III ny tHS ready cOntrlDu-
tons Of all classes and interests from
day laborer to financiers and farmers.
The business of the city has ifi;iitirii.,i.
us character has risen high. Its work
ingmen have built and are building ten
homes where they built one before and
building excellent homes where their
forbears under wide open liquor policy
built poor ones. Hundreds of those
whose habits denied them credit and
respect have attained both The re.
mark of coal dealer in answer to the
question the Literary Digest has put
was: Men who used to beg for credit
for dollars worth of slack now order
by the load over their own phones and
we send it up without question" Tha.
remark has the meat of it all. The
abolition of the saloon makes new
community. To put it more exactly it
gives men a chance to be normal.
Liquor is sold by bootleggers in cen
trail Iowa. But the liquor that is thus
secured and consumed while of copsid-
cradle quantity is negligible by com
parison. Most of the bootlegging car
ried on would be readily suppressed by |
efficient officials. The outcry as to the
character OF the liquor and it's quantity |
made by liquor advocates is mainly |
false. A half dozen empty bottles in |
an alley or one staggering drunkard on |
the streets is matter for scarehead ex-
ploitation in liquor journals. brewers
gazettes and distillers' criterions. Com |
paratively little liquor is consumed nn
der prohibition as against the drinking.
under saloon conditions
SO far as the Digest's inquiry is con-
cerned it is safe TO assume that the Dr.
gest is not inquring as TO the effects
of prohibition where prohibition can be
enforced but as TO whether it can be
enforced in Iowa. To that the answer
is that it can be done to gratifying
degree and to the establishment of in
btblti cOIluitlOlS Us W
welfare and good government That
prohibition should utterly prohibit and
at once no sensible person argues or
hopes: but generation of prohibition
enforced as well as possible as condi-
tons are met will make complete pro-
hibtion not only possible but certain:
for the boys who are to be law makers
and enforcers of law for the next gen.
Grafton will see to that.
The Literary Digest may tell it's read
ers that prohibition of the saloon is APP
proved from end to end of Iowa and
that the day is not far distant when
complete prohibition viii nave come as
the justified and general conclusion of
Iowa.