The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-18
THEY THINK IT ALL RIGHT
Nevada Statesmen Don't Believe
Their State DiSgraced.
SENATOR STEWARDS VIEWS
In His Paper He Declares Censure
Upon the Legislature for Per-
hitting Prize Fighting Unreason-
able-Repr esentative Newlands'
Opinion of Such Contests.

None of the Nevada delegation in Con-
| gress seems to feel the dignity of the
| people of that State has been at al[com-
promised by the fight or the legislative
| and executive action that permitted and
sanctioned it,. Senator Jones is in New
| York, but Senator Stewart and Repre-
sentative Newlands both announce thatthe
| legislature has acted with perfect pro-
| priety in the matter. Senator Stewart
| today prints the following editorial in
| his paper, the Silver Knight Waterman:
The severe censure by large portion
| of the press of the legislature and people
of Nevada for authorizing prize fighting in
that State is unreasonable. 1t assumes that
| the other states tolerate nothing equally
| reprehensible, il prize fighting be repre-
hensibie. Our limited knowledge of the
physical sports encouraged and patroniZed
throughout the country leads us to the be-
lief that there is more that is beneficial
and less that is harmful in prize fighting
than in the football game boat racing or
any OF the popular exhibitions of physical
force in which the youth of the country are
engaged. The football game especially is
destructive of the life and health OF a
vast number OF young men every year who
would make useful and honorable citizens
in the various callingS in life where educa-
ton and ability are required,
I'VE seldom read OF a Loaf race wherein
the healt ofoue or more of the participants
is not permanently impaired. Besides, the
art OF boxing is taught in the gymnasiunls
attached to almost every college or uni
versity in the land. III it is proper and
desirable for young men 10 understand
the manly art of self-defense, why should
il be more objectionable for people TO
witness that game played by the highest
experts than il is to witness the various
other games which are less useful and
more dangerous to the life and health Of
the contestant? There is comparatively
little danger OF any injury to the spec
tators who witness prize fighting, and
whatever injury the couhatants inflict
upon each other is accepted by them as a
result of the profession which they have
chosen.
There is a wide difference between the
moral and physical effects which may
result from Corbett and FitZsim mons beat
ing each other and the permanent injury
to fifteen or twenty promising young stu
dents from the effects OF one severely
contested football game. The power of
resistance to wrong and the ability to
defend against dastardly assaults is justly
regarded by the learned institutions of
the land as valuable education for the
youth, otherwise they would avoid the
expenditures of time and money which
are required to secure that kind Of edu-
cation. 1t increases the physical vigor
without taxing the physical powers of the
in mn N nrpfnpq mont
injury. The accidents that happen in
these contests are less in number and
less deplorable In character than in any
other physical sport which is practiced
among civilized men.
There is another consideration which
undoubtedly has its influence with the
learned professors 10 encourage educa-
ton in boxing 1t develops one of the
most useful instincts which nature has
implanted in man. Physical force has
been the great instrumentality in all
ages TO break the chains Of slavery and
secure equal rights and justice for the
masses. Whenever any nation has lost |
its power, offensive and defensive, it has
relapsed into a condition OF imbecility |
and degradation, which has excited the |
pity aud contempt OF mankind.
L NOulQ HOt COlllpidlu OI Tue Unjust |
criticism of Nevada for authorizing an |
exhibition OF the manly art of self-defense |
if they would treat the subject fairly and |
philosophically. They should lay aside |
blind prejudice and discuss impartially |
the benefits and the objections TO exhi- |
hitions of physical strength and prowess !
in all the popular games in which the peo- |
pie indulge, and not single out one game and |
one State upon which to pour out their |
walls of hypocriucal wrath. When the |
art of fighting becomes a lost art, all |
other arts of civilization will become ex- |
tinct.''
Repres entative Newlands said: While l |
must not be understood as approving of any |
form of brutality, l will say that l do |
not sympathize with all of this cant and |
hypocrisy that has been INDUCED in by |
a good many people and part of the |
newspaper press in criticisms directed |
against the legislature and governor of |
Nevada for legalizing these glove con-
tests. They are nothing more than glove |
contests. Time was when prize fighters |
fought with bare knuckles, but now they |