New-York tribune., 1895-06-13
THE CONEY ISLAND PRI/ERING.


The inclination Of Brooklyn officials to refuse
the Seaside Athletic Clubs application for re-
ncwal Of It's license ough, to be strengthened by
n demonstration of decent public opinion. cap
tain Clayton's report to the Police Department
ON the character Of the club and lis c0nulcl ~
an exceedingly temperate description OF gross
ly offensive establishment. The Seaside A'hruc
Club exists solely for the purpose OF proVidih-
n place and protection for przerghts, In whch
professional puglsts engage. ana which are
witnessed by as many degraded ruilianS rs are
oble TO gain admittancc by cash or favor. These
combats are not called przehghis, but boxing
exhibitions. and It Is alleged that they are not
in violation Of Tie statute because they ar" sur
rounded by the sanctions Of 4 club organization
and a theatrical license, and are not nomlhaiiy
souch, IN 4 finish. We do not doubt that Il strong
technical argument could be made In their de-
fcnce ON these grounds. license having been
secured by the club under whose management
they are conducted: but we are inclined 10 'hihh'
-, tho other hand. that the club could have been
successfully attacked as disorderly resort ana
= nuisance long ago If the proper authorities had
bonn ycalous and rcs0ute in the performance OF
their duty
Irnucsionably the intention Of the law against
,riyo Nrh,inp WAS 10 prevent priZehGhts. nclud-
;nc mot only those which are specifically defined
AMI r,,h,;clv nroclaimed as such, but those also
which, for the express purpose OF aNonihe 'nc
law ora restricted TO n certain number Of rounds
and fought under the artificial protection OF Il
Climb roof There Is no doubt about 'he quaii!
of these contests at Concy Island lhey are no'
mild and harmless exhibitions OF sklli Ill spar
ring. but bloody and brutal combatS. IN WHICH
the hope Of every competitor Is TO KNOCK o"' Ills
antagonist The more brutal ana pioouy 'he!
are the better do they satisfy the desires oi 'ne
club and the spectators. If they fell peiow 'h'
cxpected standard Of ferociiy they would pe
cursed as a swindlc and the clnb would nave
TO go out Of business. Newspapers which pre-
sumably find it profitable to report th'se IN.
counters in detail furnish abundant PROOF oi
their character. Their narratives read preciSc!
like faithful descriptions OF hght Ior inc "o'iu
championship, excepting that they "c'asioh'"!
have TO make a record OF interference by Inc
police after somebody has been worse hmuicu
and mangled than men fighting for champion
ship usually are. Nor are these Concy lsiand
combats In any respect more decent or "hoie
some than those which the law Is able 10 pre-
vent in the State of New-York. II they are III
any degree less dcmoralizng, 1t Is because 'hey
do not attain equal publicity. Their influence So
far as it extend is equally vicious. and they are
even more hateful than those which have been
tolerated elsewhere hitherto, because they are
conducted in obvious defiance Of the plain inen-
| ton Of the law.
1t is an outrage that this Seaside Athletic CluD
which, as We have said exists solely FOR the pur-
pose Of supplying the most depraycd ana loa'he-
some creatures out Of jail with congcnlal an'ise
mcnt. should have succeeded so long in main
tanning It's privilege of corruptnG and anrontlnG
the community. There Is no doubt that It's career
Of lucrative vice ought TO be terminated al once
| II there "a any way under the law Of bringing IL
10 an end We are glad 10 know that Brooklyn
| officials think they have remedy ai command
| and We hope they will apply II Vigorously. Bu'
the fact that the granting or refusal of license
is within their discretion, and that "A license one"
obtained seems TO be Il complete proteclion
shows that the law is defective. II Is VIGOROUSLY
| Il difficult matter TO make any law accomplish IFS
| full purposc bu' there ought 10 be enough sa-
| caclty and enough virtue in the next Legislature
TO prevent as well as forbid prize-iighling under
any name and disguise in any part Of this Com
monNcalth