The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-17
CAHILL STILL CHAMPION.
WHF HE VAS DEBARRED By THE
AUTOCRATIC COMM ITTEE.

AUT0CRATIC COMM ITTEE.
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He Was Feared by the Other Contest
ants and was she1ved for Second
Glass Men-Bowling, Shooting, Pool
and Sporting Notes.
What are we going to do about it? This
is the riddle tina. is being asked by the
members of the Scottish American Ath-
letic Club, concerning the rejection of the
entry of Pat Cahill, the amateur middle
weight champion, by the Committee of
the A. A. u.
The clubs wise counsellors have been
considering ways and means, but have
failed to reach any satisfactory plan of
proceeding to obtain redress. They may
make a little noise and depend upon
public opinion to right the wrong.
They have small hope even in this, as
the aristrocatic committee will likely
quote Mr.. Vanderbilt in respect to the
public and its opinion anent their action
in Cahill's case.
Isaw a friend of Mr.. Sullivan, the sec
Rotary of the union and Chairman OF the
Boxing and Wrestling Committee. He
informed me that Mr.. Sullivan had told
him that the committee were actuated by
the best motives for the interest OF tae A.
A. u. in refusing to allow Cahlll to COM
pete.
Had his entry been accepted there
must have been no competition in the
class and he would have had a walkoyer,
n thus interest must have been des-
troyed in that class, and the same thing
might occur in other classes and interest
been wholly destroyed if invmcibles were
permitted to enter at every tourney, as no
one else would compete.
The c0mu1iftnn cOnclI1dn0 If Was time
to act and tool advantage of the law
which gives them the power to reject any
entry.
The opinion expressed In THE NEWS
several days ago agrees exactly with the
explanation given by Mr.. Sullivan's
friend that Cahill had held the honors
long enough and someone else was to be
given a chance. 1t is not, however, the
fair way of proceeding.
Ii the laws are effective no man, be-
cause he has superior skill, should be set
aside in this unceremon1ous n and
injure him and harm the sport.
Some plan thould have been adopted by
which a champion could be placed on an
honorary roll, after holding the honor for
q certain period, and be thus removed
from the way of ambitious boxers who
are less skillful.
The present mode is absurd, and the
winner of the present tourney will be
merely a nominal champion as the title
win honestly belong to Cahill.
By the committee's own admission in
their action of debarring Cahill they
confess that he was pushed out of the
way to enable the men to enter who
feared Cahlll and would not take part if
his entry was accepted. The contestants
thus acknowledge his superior ability
and the honor as an empty II
The committee has not increased its
t%yrannical action.
1t has served well its masters, the aris-
tocratic clubs, bnt has done incalculable
injury to athletics not so much by the re-
tirement of Cahill as its lack OF manli-
ness in being silent and not explaining
why he was debarred and in listening to
trivial charges to accomplish it.
They must have felt uncomfortable at
the grand reception accorded Cahill last
night at the preliminary bouts. The
champion was kenny's second and was
greeted with cheers.
of Cahill's rejection. The notice gives no
explanation beyond the fact that the
committee awaited themselves of the
clause that gives them their autocratic
power. The letter was as follows
AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION,
OF THE UNITED STATES,
OFFICE OF THE BOXING AND
WRESTLING COMMITTEE,
New YORK, Dec. II, 1885,
P. Cahill, Esq. S. a. A. c.
DEAR SIR:1uY our entry for the annual boxing
and wrestling championship competition, to be
held December 10, 1889, is declined under the
clause by which the committee reserved the
right TO reject any entry.
Enclosed please find amount of entrance fee.
Very respectfully, J. L. SULLIVAN,
Sec. A. A. u. and Chairman Boxing
and Wrestling Committee.