The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-07-18

least some of them, addressed the an
neXed circular letter to the people of
Texas, protesting against the holding of
the Dallas fight, and urging upon the
people of Texas the necessity of driving
! is self-explanatory and reads as follows:
Austin, Texas, July 10, 1895.
To the Citizens of the State of Texas:
We respectfully ask ITO address you on
behalf of the association of Christian
ministers of all denominations residing at
the capital city of your State. We desire
to call your attention to the following
facts: That the abetors of the projected
prize fight between COrbett and FitZsim-
mons have selected Dallas, Texas, as the
place and October 81 as the time for that
brutal transaction. That the ministers of
vice III that city are now at work in order
10 attract vast cOmcOurSe of diSOrderly
persons from every part of the continent
That this audaciOuS project is still pressed
Notwithstanding its express prohibition
by the statute law of the State; that cOun-
sci learned i'm the law have been retained
to assist the law-breakers in invalidating
and multiplying the righteous will of the
people of Texas, embodied in this law
amid that the public is advertised that the
Illegal and wicked exhibition shall GER
Nainiy occur i'm spite of law and of every
wholesome eXertiOn of the executive Off
GERS OF the county and State.
We do not appeal to the Just Indignation
which this insOlent defiance of the right
mlght so naturally raise in you. We APP
peal to every GOd-fearing person in tho
commonwealth and to every respectable
friend of its dignity and Of the peace.
order and virtue of its people to Join us
IN proper efforts for arresting this out
rage. The honor and good morality of
Nhe commonwealth are objects dear to
every good citizen; and it is the right and
duty, of all such to rally to their support
by their support by every righteous and
legal means. when they are threatened.
IMese prize fights constitute violent
tnreats ITO all the interests of order and
virtue as we'll as of Christianity.
tlrst-Ihey involve an enormous and
useless waste of the time and wealth. of
the people.
Second-Ihey attract to the unfortu-
MARE place selected for the criminal exhi-
bltlon "a vast throng of those disortler,v
Hllu ulSSOlute persons who find their en-
JoNment in these savage scenes. whose
presence is q perious threat to the com
MUMMY. LIT must expect to be cursed nv
an enormous impulse in its very midst
10 the SINS of profanity, intoXication.
ieWdness, betting, gambling, prodigality,
DrG1ches OF the peace and even homicidcs.
=, 1hlrd-An example is displayed with
the greatest publicity. which applies n
seductive but poisonous temptation 70 thn
natural feelings of inexperienced Youth.
last the proceeding is brutal. cruel.
dangerous to rhe participants. ALWAYS in
NolNlng cauSelesS wounds and bloodshed
ana sometimes the crime of actual mur
uer, lhilamlng and debauchng the souls
OF the spectators and even of the mosr
DISTANT readers. The bull fights of tho
MeXlcans and Spaniards which we de-
r n;%e as hlrbarism gre more eArusable.
Iol then IL is a h"HSt that is assaulted
ana tortured. which is at any rate des.
o = eCI, 10 Inc butchers knife. Here it is
II I Igllow man and an immortal soul.
, we see not how these prize fights can
he judged less barbarous than tha cioI
latorial murders of the ancient arena
winch made pastime for the pagan rob,
Die OF Rome. We know not how th,
ct f I,i OF any people and the honor
OF the commonwealth can be more dponIv
ulSgracel than by the liberation of sncb
crime But fellow citizens there is VET
a darker evil now threatening Texos
Most of her sister States have laws
against prize fighting within their bor-
ders which exclude these disGraces from
them. II the people of Texas friendly
10 EW ana order are now naglectful or
apathetlc. if the abettOrs of vice suc-
coed IN setting aside or defying our law.
tne iStare becomes at once the chosen
arena for the brutalities of all the
,.roughS" on the American continent,
Preciuded from other States. they will
resort to our borders thus become so
hospltable to barbarism and nfamy. From
time to time one and then another of our
towns WIFI be invaded by the prize fight
ers of the whole continent with their de-
bauched hOrdes of followers. Our on
cltable and inexperienced youth will he
seduced into imitation: their ambition
Will be fired to seek the brutal honors
OF the ring instead of sober pleasures
and credit of scholarship. industry and
domestic virtue. Our other wholesome
laws for restraining vice will he troddpn
IN the mire Our State will sink beneath
Mexico in diSrepute. poverty and decad
ence. We therefore beg You to Join us,
first. in the vigorous expression of your
opposition TO the projected outrage. and
next IN a respectful representation to the
governor and other officers of the com
monWealth. the lawful guardians of pub
lie order. assuring them of our full sun
port, moral and physical. in every lauda-
pie effort to prevent this and similar Of
fenes. While We desire the cO-oppration
OF every friend of virtue of whatever CON
dlton or of either sex. we especially wish
the voters of the State to give expression
to their patriotism in this iuncture. be-
cause they are the individuals to whose
hands the sovereignty and power of max
ing and uphOIding right laws are com
mitted by the constitution. We there
fore request you. dear sir t. secure from
all your fellow Christians and fellow Gift
ZenS a written expression of their will
touching this threatened disorder and re-
NIT it to us. We offer ourselves to exc
cute the labOriOuS task of collecting these
memorials and publishing their results in
proper manner. and we beg that each per
son will sign with the word voter" an
pended to his name who is lawfully on |
titled to that franchise.
Adopted at the aforesaid meeting.
A. ]. ROSE. Chairman.
!. L. RI SSELL. Secretary.
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