The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-10-02
THE TEXAS LEGISLATORS 4!
Considering Law to Make Prize Fight
ing a Felony.
BOTH. SIDES WAITING FOR VOTES
The Administration Forces Thus Far Unable
to Secure Votes Enough to Prevent the
-Fitzsimmons Mill-Governor
Culberson Caustic Proclamation.

AUSTIN, Tex, Oct. 2.-In compliance
with the proclamation Of Governor Culber-
son cOnvening the legislature to take action
on the prize fight question, which has
been agitated by the proposed Corbett-
Fitzsimmons mill at Dallas, Oct 81, a
quorum of both houses responded to roll
call yesterday at noon and were in work
ing shape within thirty minutes, and at
1890 o'clock promptly Received message
from Governor Culberson. The governor
confined himself solely to the prize fight
question, and reviewed at length the situa-
tion which has made the calling of the
legislature necessary. His message, after
a careful review of the condition of the
laws in other states, concludes as follows:
"By proclamation all persons have been
given notice that this exhibition would
not be permitted, and whatever has been
done by it's projectors was with full re
spOnsibility for the consequences The
public interests require that this exhibit
ton, especially, should be suppressed.
Discountenanced by Mexico and the terri
tories, outlawed and driven from every
state, it is proposed to assemble a horde
of ruffians and gamblers and offer here
this commanding insult topublic decency
Against it the instincts and pride of the
people revolt, and your prompt and reso-
lutte action will spare them the ignominy
and the shame.
'It will do another thing. 1t will recall
to the great city of this state, inhabited
by a manly and generous and enlightened
people, the wholesome and assuring truth,
now obscured by anger and misconcep-
ton, for which it will hereafter thank
you, that no part of it's material prosper
ity, no part of its social and intellectual
and industrial progress no part of its
splendid destiny is bound up in an en-
deavor to hold within its limits one of the
most disgraceful orgies that ever promised
to discredit and dishonor Texas.
'Impelled by n sense of duty to exert
every executive power to divert this calam-
ity, you have been called in special session,
and the responsibility for the consequences
is now divided with you. That you will
meet it as becomes the representatives of
the whole people, anxious and ready to
protect the fair name of the state, is not
doubted"
As soon as the message was read, in
compliance with it's command, two bills
were introduced in both houses.
The bills are identical The one intro
duced in the senate by Senator Lewis, OF
Bexer, and the one in the house by Repre-
sentative Ward of Travis, are generally
conceded to be the measures of the admin
istration They provide that any person
engaging in prize fighting or any pugilis-
tic encounter shall be deemed guilty OF
felony, and shall be punished by an i'm
prisonment of not less than one nor more
than two years. This bill, of course, has
the emergency clause. The other bill, in
troduced in the senate by Senator Simp
son, provides a penalty of not less than
five nor more than ten years, and further
provides that any one who in any manner
aids or abets a fight will be considered q
participant, and subject to the above
named punishment. The emergency
clause is also in this bill.
These bills were referred to the judic
tary committee in either house, and they
were to take action thereon yesterday
afternoon. The Dallas attorneys appeared
before them, however, to ask for further
time, claiming thai they could show tha
the proposed law was unconstitutiona
and class legislation, as well as COntisca
tory. In compliance with their reques
both committees adjourned until today
and nothing further was done by eithe
house in the matter.
AS the matter now stands 1t is politica
row between the friends of Governor Cul
berson and his present opponents of whicl
he has quite a number in the legislature
There are ninety-four members of th'
house present and twenty-four senators
In the house it is necessary to get eighty
six votes to make the law go into immedi
ate effect, and twenty-one votes are neces
sary in the senate. In the house, at tht
present time, there are fifteen out and out
men against putting an emergency olaus
in the bill, while there are four who ar
doubtful. This puts the twO-thirds vot
out of the question in the house with tn,
present roster. In the senate there art
three against the emergency clause and
two doubtful, which places the bill in Sc
rious danger there also.
If vote was taken now, with only thl
present number present, there is littli
doubt that the emergency clause would b,
defeated. The administration forces d,
not propose TO come to a vote on the mat
ter, however, until more of their men al
rive, and these absentees are expected b,
this evening at the latest. The Dallas pee
pie also want a delay to gather additiona
| forces, so everybody is pleased to delay tn
game at present. Lobbying is being in
/ dulged in right and left.