Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-09

he faces his antagonist in as good physical condition as he was yesterday.
 When the cunning men who were behind Kilfain, and but for whom he would never | have thought of facing Sullivan, matched him against the man who had never ! known defeat, they builded not on the prowess of their man, not on his capacity l to win, but on the we'll known habits of the Boston athlete and the improbability that he could be got into form for hard battle such as they knew Kilrain would be able to give him. The series of disasters that have been following Sullivan-the breaking of his arm on Patsy Cardiff's head, the attack of typhoid fever which shook his mighty frame, the dissipations in which he had indulged with reckless ness unprecedented in the annals of ath- letics, and the breaking of his spirit when he was unable to do better than make draw with Char ley Mitchell at Chantillyrwere counted on by Kilrain's advisers to operate to Jakes advantage when the men would come together in the ring. But above and beyond all else it was believed by them, with a faith that was bo,n of experience, that Sullivan could not resist his taste for drink sufficiently to get himself in condi- tion to do battle with a strong and clever man such as they knew Kilrain to be. That Sullivan disappointed all their hopes and entered the ring the wonderful physi- cal giant that nature and training have made him brought discontinue to them and their champion and joy to the hearts of nine out of every ten persons who took an interest in the fight. For, strange it may seem at first sight, John L. Sullivan has far greater following than Kilrain, and this, too, though their habits and moral qualities are widely different. Sullivan is not an ideal man, morally speaking neither is he one who, by reason who have an admiration for his calling But he is strictly honest, and his name has never yet been associated with hipo- drome or fraud on the sport loving public. He is large hearted, open handed, generous to friend and foe, and the worst that has ever been said against him even by his enemies is that he is his ! own worst enemy. But above all that gave him the sympathy of the public in his | battle with Kilrain is the fact that he is a | u1 hnr l feed his manhood nor. stultified the Irish l blood that flows in his veins by seeking favor with Englishmen, assuming cock ney accent and endeavoring to prove himself more English than the English themselves. John L. Sullivan has been above this. Not even the prince of Wales when he was presented to him could make him forget for a minute that his American birth and American citizenship made him a sovereign who was the equal of Eng Pony Moores with their forgotten American sovereignty behind Sullivan, no Charley Mitchells with their British hatred of the 1 stars and stripes, but instead men who
 above and beyond all else despised Kilrain for his un-American associations and pre- affections. We have here the explanation
 of John L. SulIivan's hold on the Amer ican people.
 A good deal has been said of Sullivan s drinking habits, of his wild revellings and unbridled dissipations. To one, however, who stops to think it is not at all singular that Sullivan should be neither saint nor a prohibitionist. From obscurity and poverty he was suddenly, owing to his wonderful success in the prize ring,
 brought to prominence and afluence never before attained by fighter. He
 was courted and fattered by rich men and
 men of prominence in every walk of life
 he was feted by hero worshipers and raised
 to the position almost of demigod he
 was tempted beyond his power to resist by
 all the pleasures and luxuries that the
 world can give to one who is successful
 Is it any wonder that he fell That his
 hard head, on which the fists of Ryan and Flood, of Wilson and Slade, of McCaffrey and Mitchell could make no impression
 should be turned. What one of hif
 critics would have acted differently o1
 more wisely! Let him whose prudence
 under the same conditions would be
 greater cast the first stone. It is not Sul livan so much as the hero worshipers who
 held the cup to his lips that should be helG responsible for his faults. Let us remem.
 Dor that when we are disposed to holG John L. Sullivan up as brute who is un
 worthy the respect or good opinion O people generally.
 Yesterdays fight ended as it was ex
 pected and as it was hoped by most people
 that it would. John l.. Sullivan is thu true champion of the prize ring, ant Americans are glad that he did not lowe his colors to the man whose Americanisn %1o :nl,,