The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-02

Washington, March AT the opening
of the days session of the House, the
Senate amendments to the sundry civil
appropriation and postoiHce appropri.-
ton bills were non. concurred in and con
ferences were ordered on the bills
Senate amendments were concurred i'm
to the bill extending for one wear the
time for completing II bridge across the
Alabama river near Montgomery, Ala
y bill repeating that section of the law
providing for sending to Washington by
special messenger Presidential election
certificates was passed after an explana-
ton by Mr.. Mercer, OF Nebraska. that
these certificates could as well be sent by
mail nr express and the present system
was costly.
Senate bill to. extend the use--of the
mails to postal cards and envelopes owned
by the United States Economic Postage
Association was laid on the table.
Mr.. Aldrsch, OF Illinois, .cal!ed up the
''anti- prize fight bill"
The bill pTovides shat no picture or de-
scripton of any prize fight, or encounter
of pugilists under whatever name, or
proposal or record of betting on the same
shall he transmitted in the mills of the
nited States or by interstate commerce,
Wlether In newspaper or other periodi-
cal or telegram, or in any other form.
Section provides that any person
scndlng such matter, or knowingly re-
ceiving such matter for transmission by
man or Interstate commerce shall he
deemed guilty OF misdcmeanor and
shall be punishable by imprisonment for.
not more than five years in the discretion
of the court, or by II fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars.
Mr.. Aldrich, in supporting the smeas-
ure, said that all the States of the
mon, save one or two, forbid prize
| tights, which have been sent TO the limbo
OF condemned customs with dueling,
slavery, lotteries and polygamy. The
| hill simply protected the more advanced
States which have forbidden pugiism n>;
brutal ana brutaliHing against having
| prize fights brought into their borders in
| pictures and descriptions which are only
I; little less harmful than the degrading
| sport they describe. The bill did nor
forbid IL bres statement of the fight IA II
matter OF news. Congress in its swftest
enactment forbade prize-fghting in it's
whole Jurisdiction, and so drove n pros-
pective prize-t fight about Co occur in one
oil the Territories into the mountains of
Mexico, whose government had also for.
hidden 1t, This bill is but Il logical pro-
tection OF that act and is in accord also
with another act of this Congress. an
proved by this committee and since
enacted into law prohibiting the inter
state transportation of obscene pictures or
pictures of the brutality of pugilism,
which are hardly less harmful to our
youths. 1t Is in accord, also, with the
anti divorce act of Congress, which has,
protected the families of bhe whole land
against the divorce colonies of one OF
the Territories. This bill calls for imme-
date consideration Cor manifest reasons.
1t is believed the reputable press, which
describes pri%c-iights only from COMPETE
ton. will welcome this protection.
Mr.. Morse, OF Massachusetts, nd xocated
the passage of the measure. He was piled
with questions. and in reply to one he
said that he hoped that the outcome of
the coming tight will be that it would be-
teleSraphed over the country that the two
brutes had killed themselves
Mr.. Grosvenur, of Ohio, favored the bill
Mr. Dockery, of Missouri, opposed prize
| fights but considered this IN extraordi-
nary proposition. 1t was censorship ut
the press. II this was done it could be
extended to details of murder and other
crimes.
Mir Cummings of New York, consid-
cred it very dangerous ground, and said
that 1t could he made TO prevent sending
through the mails hundreds of books
now III print with pictures OF pugilistS
in them. 1t would he just us well TO
prevent pictures OF pablo men.
MIR. Hepburn defended the measure,
holding that il would not he censorship
Of the press
binned ON fnurth nhra