The herald., 1897-03-23
More Demoralizing Than
the Fighting
PLEAS TO THE PRESIDENT
To Prohibit the Exhibition Of the Kineto-
scope Pictures
Three Hundred Thousand Membersof the
Women's Christian Temperance Union
Ask the Legislators to Act
4 e.oc,ated Press special wire.

appeal was forwarded today to his eX-
cellency, the president of the United
States:
Honored Ruler: AS official represen-
tatiyes of 100000 members of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance union of
the United States, we earnestly entreat
you to call upon congress to prohibit IN
the District Of Columbia and throughout
the various territories duplication by
means of the kinetoscope or kindred In
struments, of the rbett-Fitzsimmons
fight or any like exhibition at any future
time. We believe in making this request
we are seeking the best welfare of all
citizens, especially of the youth OF our
land, who would be brutalized by such
life-Iike representations of those degrad-
ing spectacles. We learn that prepara-
tion upon the largest scale is being made
for invading not alone our great cities,
but every village and hamlet with this
spectacular performance; that bad as
was the influence of the fight upon the
comparative few who witnessed it in
person 1t would be infinitely worse, be-
cause so much more far reaching II thus
produced We are making like request
to the chief officials and legislatures of
various states, and have strong hope
that in a majority of them the necessary
legislation may result. We are glad and
feel assured at the outset that your per-
sonal sympathy must be with us and
your official sanction will be given to
this request so clearly in the interests of
morality.
Sincerely and respectfully yours,
FRANCS E. WILLARD, President.
KATHERINE E. STEVENSON,
Corresponding Secretary W.C.T.U.
The appeal to the governors is as fol-
lows:
To His Excellency, Governor Of
Honored Sir: AS the official represen-
tatives of the 800, 900 members of the Wo
mans Christian Temperance union Of
the United States, we earnestly entreat
you to do all in your power to see that
a bill is introduced into and carried
through the legislature of your state
which shall prohibit the reproduction by
means of the kinetoscope or kindred in
struments of the t-Fitzsimmons
fight or of any like exhibition at any flu
ture time.
Preparations upon the largest scale
are being made for invading not alone
the cities. but the villages and hamlets
of the land with these lifelike represen-
tations of this degrading spectacle. We
feel that if this should be allowed to go
on the influence OF the fight upon the
comparative few who witnessed ii in
person would bes mall compared with
what would follow this wholesale eX-
hibition. Especially do we fear its ef-
feet upon the youth of our land as well
as upon the fathers and mothers.
We have already petitioned President
Mckinley to use his authority to prevent
in the District of Columbia and the ter
ritories and we are sending this letter
to the governors of the various states.
May we not hope for your personal CO.
operation and earnest Endorsement? We
learn through the newspapers that Mas
sachusetts and Illinois have already in
troduced bills prohibiting these exhibi-
tions. We trust these are only the pre-
ludes to a great chorus of protests which
shall arise from every state in our ma
tion.
In the interests of true citizenship we
have the honor to sign ourselves, sin
cerely yours. FRANCES E. WILLARD,
President National W. C. T. u.
CATHERINE L. STEVENSON.
Corresponding Secretary National w. c.
T. U.
Letters have already been sent to the
national superintendent of purity Dr.
Mary Wood of Michigan, and to the ma
tional superintendent of purity in lit
erature and art, Mrs. Emily E. Martin
of New York city, urging them to take
up the issue and push it throughtheir de-
partments all over the United States
The attention of every state w. C. T. U.
president will also be called to it, and
they will be requested to use their influ-
ence with their legislators by means of
petitions or letters at once. The lead
ing editorial in the next Union Signal
is upon the subject of the evil influences
of this brutal exhibition through the
kinetoscope
IRELAND COMMENTS
WASHINGTON, March 22-The ap-
peal of the president of the w. c. T. e.
to President Mckinley and the govern
ors of the states of the union, teie-
graphed from Chicago today asking for
their intervention to prevent the kinet-
oscopic reproduction of the Corbett-
Fitzsmmo fight from being exhibited
in the United States, was commented
upon today as follows by Archbishop
ireland of st. Paul, who is in Washing
ton: "Pugilism is arbarism-animai-
ism. 1t Is disgrace to Christian civili-
cation. No Christian nation should per-
init it. A few years ago an attempt was
made to have on lGHge scale pugilistic
exhibition in st. Paul, but the citizens
strongly protested, and Governor Mer-
riam issued proclamation prohibiting
IT. There was no fight. 1t Is a pity that
every state and every city in the union
has not followed the example of Min
neapolis and st. Paul. The exhibition of
the kinetoscopic reproduction of the
Carson fight would minister to morbid
curiosity, low appetites and tend to
render prize fighting popular. hope that
the good sense and moral instincts of
the American people will not allow this
cntemplated exhibition to take place in
any part of the country"
WHO is INTERESTED
SAN FRANCISCO, March 22.-Many
contradictory stories are current about
the respective shares of all parties con-