The record-union., 1891-07-23
CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP.

According to all accounts the prize fight
in San Francisco Tuesday night was a
particularly brutal and unfeeling affair
One of the men had his arm broken, but
was kept in the fight for long time after
the limb hung helplessly at his side. One
OF the contestants struck foul, and so seri-
ously injured his opponent that the fight
had to be suspended half hour, and
physicians were called in to attend the
injured man. Both the sloggers were
seriously bruised and battered, and both
bled at the nose, mouth and ears freely
The fighting was savage, not at all within
the lines of scientific boxing and the
manly art of self-defense." In short, it
was as unsatisfactory to supporters of the
prize ring as it was disgusting to other
lookers-on. Ex-senator Dougherty,
Chairman of the Democratic County Com
mittee, was the referee, and proved to be
so incompetent that his rulings really
added to the brutality of the contest by
compelling its continuance
Whether the Democratic organization
can afford to have its leading officials en-
gage in such an avocation, and thus teach
the young voters that political honors are
conferred regardless of character and
moral status, remains to be seen. The
Republican party, however, is not less
blameworthy when it accepts as leaders
and prime movers in organized activity
men who have been blackened for official
misconduct. All the tendency of such
party codes is TO disgust the people more
and more with party management and
control in these days. There is not at
present much open revolt at these things,
but there is a steady and determined
withdrawal from party obligations and
discipline, notably in restricted political
activities below the grade of national
politics.
The Independent action which partisans
stigmatize with such severity is very
largely due to the fact that following
desires to have personal respect for its
leadership, and when it cannot, there is a
falling away from it. 1t is mainly for
this reason that local politics in cities and
counties is so frequently disturbed by
revolts against party control and with
drawals from disciplinary contact with
II. When it comes to pass, as it would
seem is true already, that the corrupt
and smirched on the one hand, and the
managers of brutal prize fights on the
other, are to be spokesmen, mentors and
high priests for party organization,
whom men are expected to look up to
and follow, the following must either
sink itself to humiiatingly low level in
order to do so, or manifest its indigna-
ton at the attempt to whip it into party
traces.
There would seem TO be no reason
whatever why political managers should
be fools, but they denominate themselves
such when in this day of free spirit and
individualism they force upon the people
as party chiefs and captains the class OF
men referred to. Possibly these mana
gers are not without wisdom of an order
that has very restricted horizon. They
know that in cities the vicious class, low
tastes, and the criminal elements most
abound, and that they are most open to
party appeals of certain kind. They
therefore cater to them and give them
representation. The Mayor of St. Paul,
who fled to avoid enforcing the law
against two notorious prize fighters,
knows upon which side his political
bread is buttered, and from what sources
he can draw unbroken support. His
action testiies TO the potentiality in
politics of the forces that choose loca,
leaders of the order to which we have re-
ferred