New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-05
LIJp BREAKERS,

Three State Governments are at present en-
gagged in trying TO stop couple OF brutes from
violating their laws. Meanwhile thousands OF
citizens. who call themselves law abiding and
respectable, are encouraging the awbreakers
by paying money TO witness the spectacle. This
is not q contrast creditable to American civil
ization. If the law is proper one, it should
be so framed and so enforced rs to make it I'M
Dossible for a prize-fght 10 take place IN tho
presence Of a crowd Of spectators. II the OBJ
iect of the law is not important to the pubic
welfare, or has not the support of public opln-
ion 50 far that it can be enforced then 1t should
not rest upon the statute-books to bring gov
eminent into dscredit through its open viola
ton.
Public opinion in all the States has branded
prize-fghting as a thing to be prevented, be-
cause demorazing, brutal, and in many ways
calculated to encourage lawless violence. But
il the fighting is contrary to public welfare and
should be prohibited and punished by law, the
only way to make the prohibition effective is to
punish also the publishing sending or accept
ance of challenge, the deposit of forfeitures or
stakes, the furnishing Of railroad trains or other
conveyances to points for an unlawful gather
ing. and the participation as seconds or referees
and also as spectators. If any part of the
business is contrary to public peace and wei
faro the whole Of it is, and when the publica-
ton of challenges, the signing Of articles, the
deposit Of stakes, and the assembling OF crowds
to witness the spectacle are prevented, the
brutes who want to pound each other Will not
care TO do so in private, and will select some
other country for their disgracefu performances
II may be said to the credit of American
civilization, that the creatures who do the
pounding and the others who foster and en-
courage this Form of lawbreaking are nearly
all Of foreign importation. Most Of them are
from Great Britain, which has advanced far
enough in civilization to make the so-called
British sport" practically impossible on Brit
ish islands. So the bruisers, loafers and roughs
drift across TO this country, where they find as
vet considerable support and inadequate laws
Persons of American blood who take part in
such performances are not relatively numerous
If a practical American wants to defend him
self he finds several weapons more effective
than the fists. If he has proper occasion TO
damage anybody else, he seeks the most eff
fective way and shoots to kill. But it is not
an American tendency to have fights for the
sake Of the fighting. Americans, rs rule have
risen that fer above the beasts.
There is not the least room for question as
10 the proprioty Of laws TO prohibit prize-ight-
ing, or as to the disposition of the great ma
jority Of the people to respect and enforce those
laws The only difficulty is that in some Of
tho States the laws are too narrow or technical.
II should be made in every State alike as much
nm ononco IA preuare for or in any way nartici-
pate in prize-fght as to engage in the actual
fighting. When The publication of a challenge
or the deposit Of stakes can be punished in
New-York as we'll as the actual fighting, and
when no transporting company will haul people