The record-union., 1892-09-06
AN INCONSISTENT PEOPLE.

AN INCONSISTENT PEOPLE.
There is no form of amusement
against which Americans rail so loudly
as bull-ighting in Spain and Mexico.
We never fail to embrace the opportunity
to point out to American youth that bull
batting is an evidence of a low and de-
generate order of civilization; that it is
cruel in the extreme, and its inhumanity
30 great that it tends to harden the hearts
of the people who indulge in it, and thus
to render them less susceptible, gentle
and kindly. In fact, we denounce the
bull-fight as brutality in action, and the
people who patronize and demand it as
wanting in sensibility, refinement and
true civilization.
But the fighting of men with bulls is
infinitely less perilous, less brutalizing,
less crueland more humane than fighting
men with men. While we roll our eyes
and exclaim against the Spaniard and his
sport of the bull-ring, the major portion
of the American nation, if we are to be-
neve the press dispatches, is going wild
with excitement over anticipation of
prize-fight between two stalwart men,
any blow in which may take a human
life, and every blow in which is cruel.
brutal and intended to damage an organ
or injure vital part.
We should, to be consistent, cease our
criticism of the Spaniard. He at least
pits but man and bull; we set against
each other two men; the Spanish are care
full to reinforce the man, and in many
ways guard him from danger; their care
is for the human being; our painstaking
is to come just as near battering man to
death as is possible to be done and not
finish him. Both forms are classed as
''amusements"; each appeals to the ami
NAL in man, to british instincts, and to
the remnant of savagery there is in u.s.:
but compared with our sport that of the
Spanish bull arena is child's play and
wholly harmless. We agree with the
Minneapolis Tribune in its criticism of
our consistency in this matter, when it
says:
Physical culture is an excellent thing to en-
courage and certainly it has not lacked en-
couragement in this country of late years.
We want a race of broad-Shouldered, clean
1imbed men, and should foster the spirit
which promotes this; but prize fights do not
make stalwart men any more than duels de-
Velop nation of markSmen. Rowing con-
tests, base and football, and q halfdoZen
other innocent Games rpQIliTlnO strength and
physical endurance, has done more to de-
velOp our young men than all the prize fights
that have taken place in fifty years. Let us
not deceive ourselves, therefore. Bull fights,
dog fights, chicken disputes" and prize fights
are of the same piece, fostered by the same in
gtincts, and, If any one OF them sinks below
the other 1t is the contest of two human be-
1ngs who do not fight for patriotism, for
liberty, for country, TOR family, and against
oppression and outrage, but pound each other
for gain and the delectation of their fellow be-
tngs who cheer the exhibition and find
amusement IN the bruised bodies, battered
noses and faces pounded out of resemblance
10 the human countenance, which are the re-
suits Of a ''well-contested prize fight" That
these encounters are demoralizing and brutal
1Ztng cannot be doubted. The time will come
when public sentiment will forbid them even
in New Orleans and San Francisco.
It is by no means trivial subject, nor
aquestion that is to be put down. The
Tribune looks for the time to come when
this fighting of human beings for sport
or coin will be prohibited, but we see
nothing in the signs of the present to
warrant the hope being realized at any
early day. Indeed, if the press feels the
public pulse and caters to the public taste,
on the increase and has infected nearly
all classes Of society, all ages and condi-
tons of men, since the press is giving
more and more Of space and attention to
these affairs.
For many weeks before a contest the
condition, movements, training, habits
and remarks of the pugilists are reported
in sickening repletion hour by hour, day
and night; column after column is filled
with speculations, betting conjectures
and grave opinions regarding the out
come of the approaching bruising match;
special reporters are selected to trot at the
heels of the preparing fighters and record
all their most trivial words; pictures are
showered upon as showing the working,
sleeping and loafing rooms of the con-
testants, their clothing, food and exercise
equipment. One ''enterprising'' Cali
fornia journal has gone so far as to give
fac simile of a letter written by one o.
the pugilists TO his mamma" and sup
plements it with a coarse engraving of a
lot of rowboats to which the bruiser re-
fers in his letter. What either has to dc
with the fight no one knows. The por.
traits of the fighters, in as varied style al
the fashions of the age are thrust before
the public gaze by the press almost daily
whole pages of sloppy writing are ground
out in description of the fellows, theil
hopes and condition, and in recountine
and friends and opponents. And The
public-a large part of it appears to relish
this kind of thing. If it continues to de.
mand this sort of pabulum and in In
creasing doses, where will it bring up.
What viii be the outcome of it? Will tht
bruiser set the fashion of the hour anC
determine the code of manners and tn
cut of our cloth? VIII it come to pas
that the fttest man for admiration ant
public applause is he whose forearm i
longest and mightiest? Is the trial O
strength and hardened muscle to put int,