Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-04
PRIZE FIGHTS.
A Relic of Barbarism Continued Only by
BarbaTians.

the following I shall employ the term
prize fights TO denote physical contest.
What can we say of the sentiments of the
spectator of the pugilist? Is his soul
stirred with true pride? We may
feel nobly proud of our fertile fields,
waving harvests, wild glens, sublime
mountain scenery, broad landscapes, and
fine vineyards, but we should feel more
molly proud of the enterprise and public
| spirit of our people in their morality, viz
tue and intelligence and in their devotion
to the cause of mental and moral educa-
| ton. / would not ignore physical educa-
| ton. Great minds, as rule, are not con-
fined in fragile shells, but physical educa-
ton is necessary only in so far as it aids
mental and moral development
Is it not true that intellectual culture
| constitutes the genius of the age in which
we live; that it constitutes in itself true
exponent of our wealth and power? The
! intellectual acquisitions of nations is an
exponent of their civilization and should
enter more largely into the calculations of
| their economy. Does not our nation re-
ouire a new edition of the - Wealth Of
| Nations" in which mental power shall be
| estimated at full value? Have not the
statesman, historian and political econo-
mist been too content with reckoning up
the stupendous aggregate of material pros
perity while the wealth of the mind, which,
in secular view, is the sum of all values,
| is in great measure ignored? Is it not
the human intellect that controls and d.
reefs the destiny of every enterprise?
Sir William Hamilton said: There is
nothing great in the world bat man; there
is nothing great in man but mind" The
ancients realized the truth of the first part
of this quotation, but, with few exceptions,
we have no evidence that they believed
that there is nothing great in man but
mind"
All have read of the Olympic games of
Greece played annually in honor of god.
The games consisted of foot-racing. box
ing, wrestling, jumping, and the like-all
physical feats. They dotted upon the ply
steal parts OF man. Do you not think that
they would have honored their god and
themselves more to have emulated the
mental wrestlings of Socrates, Demos
themes. Homer or Plato?
The arena of the Roman amphitheater
was often stained with the mingled blood
of man and beast. To see these physical
contests all classes of society came-the
rich and the poor, the first OF the empire
| as well as the meanest subject Thus the
Roman bowed to physical energy, physical
force. The Macedonian phalanx, a thou
sand men linked together went down
against its antagonist like the blow of an
avalanche. 1t did not make any difference
| whether the soldier knew anything or not,
only that he weighed more than his adver-
sary. 1t was the battle of avoirdupois.
The truth Of this is applicable to all ancient
warfare, not excepting the bloody wars of
| the dark ages.
| 1t is not so of modern warfare. Won
Bismarck, The great German statesman,
| recognized the superiority Of mind when
he said it was not the needle-gun but the
| intelligence withwhich it was welded by the
educated Prussian soldiers that Won the
victory.
| Then there were the tits and tourna-
ments of the age of chivalry, when knights
| of old, in manner bold, came forth with
their physical clad in bright steel and
| fought for the entertainment, not of the
| lowest alone, but for kings and queens as
we'll Their hearts and minds, unlike their
| physical, were as dark and treacherous as
| the love of power and authority can pro
| duce. Each of these references from an
| Gent history is an embodiment, as well as
an illustration, of the general conviction
| that there is nothing great in the world but
man, but we can see they knew compare
| lively nothing Of the worth of mind.
| The discovery of America served to turn
! the genius of men into a new channel
| When the fifteenth century gave birth to
| printing books those angel carriers of
| thought became the nurseries of patriot
| ism, intelligence and virtue. The numer
| Gus colleges dotted over our vast domain,
| the many universities of Europe, and the
support Of common schools in this and
| other lands, tells us that a majority of the
people of the civilized races, at the present
time, do not bestow their vainest pride
upon the physical of man ike the Roman
enperors, or the more modern kings of
| Europe, but are most proud OF the feats of
! intellect.
| Now the truth is that some of our people
do not realize the superiority of mind suf-
| ficiently to stay away from physical exhi-
| bition, popularity called prize fight, which
| cannot benefit them physically, mentally
| or morally. A few days ago | read of
| 5000 people assembling to witness a physi-
cal combat in the city of San Francisco
| / suppose this is not all who wished to go.
| Did this contest teach any man how he
might become better husband or father :?
| Was it a message OF love and mercy to any
mother or daughter? Was it a worthy ex-
ample for any son? Can the poor man
| better clothe or feed his family now? If
not, what took so many there? Was it a
feeling of curiosity? Grant it. Now, should
we be led by curiosity alone? Do not
| many thieves, opium-smokers, drunkards
| dive-vistors explain their submission to
| the first temptation by saying they were
| led by feeling Of curiosity? Hence does
| il not behoove us TO keep close watch lest
we by our conduct encourage mental and
| moral hindrances Pray let me be under
| stood. / am not writing for the sake of
| the combatants in prize-ights. Their in
I or 10 ha oh I
most denounce the conduct of the people
who attend-good people who act before
they reflect well upon the consequences of
! their acts.
Imagine the Olympic grounds of Greece
| occupied only by actors; the galleries OF
| the Roman amphitheater empty, and the
! knights feats performed Alone and how
! long would such institutions have con-
| tinued? If good judgment and determine
| ton could have accomplished this, agricult-
ure commerce and manufacture would
! have had the attention of the people in
stead of war Good fathers, stay at home
and thus kill out spirit that should be
recognized as the spirit Of the pugihst, and
one that is more common than many are
aware. How many boys think they are to
perform their part on the stage Of life with
| their fist? How often are the parents to
! blame for it j.? a father said to his son in
my hearing John, the very next time
you let that boy lick you coming home
from school, I'll thrash you till you can't
stand up"
Such is the spirit of great many of our
people, although it does not always find
expression in a prize fight. Do you not be-
lieye with me that prize fights are relic OF
barbarism, a low inspiration in any COM
munity2 Isnot every teacher in the public
school called upon to counteract such inAu-
ences? Should not we all feel ourselves
called upon to oppose anything SO base?
! Would not little higher tone Of society
oblige such low inpirations to give way, or
| little advance Of truth with its new light
| dispel this relative darkness2
WYNN JOHNSON.
Davisyille (Cal.), November q, 1886.
A Bright Future for Sierra Valley.