Evening journal., 1897-02-27
BLOW AT PRIZE FIGHTS
a Bill 20 Prevent Printing Pic
lures and Descriptions.
SENATE GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS.

Tho Indian Appropriation Bill Amended
and Pa~sed-Cuban Question Temporal
riiy Dropped-The House Passes the In
ternationnl Monetary Conference Bill.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 27.-The prelimina-
~ newspaper reports of the coming Cor.
hett-Fitzs,mmonsp prize fight were brought
to the attention of the house committee
on interstate and foreign commerce by
Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, with the result OF
srcody una radical action by that commit.
tee. Mr. Crafts is secretary of the Nation.
al Reform league and has been instru.
mental in securing congressional action
against prize fighting and against lotter-
les he presented to the committee the
dratt OF bill to stop sensational reports
ot prize lighting, representing that most
newspapers would be glad TO omit The de-
tails of pugilistic events from their col.
umns if they were not driven to publish
them by the enterprise Of less scrupulous
rivals.
The committee made some immaterial
changes in tho bill and then by practi-
oally unanimous vote instructed Repre-
the house. The text of the bill follows:
Section 1. That no picture or descrip-
tion of any prize fight or encounter of pu-
gilists under whatever name, or any pro
posal or record of betting on the same,
shall he transmitted in the mails Of the
United States or by interstate commerce,
whether in newspaper or other periodic
al or telegram, or in any other form.
Sec 2. That any person sending such
matter or knowingly receiving sgch mat
ter for transmission by mail or interstate
commerce shall be deemed guilty Of a mis-
demeanor and shall be punishable by i'm
prisonment for not more than five years,
at the discretion of the courts, or by fine
not exceeding $1,O00"
Reported to the House.
The speed with which the Catron bill to
prevent prize fighting in the territories
was passed by congress leads the friends
OF this new proposition to hope that it
may be made law by this congress with as
little difficulty. Members of the commit
tee, however, think the fulnllment of that
hope very doubtful The bill was reported
70 the house without delay, however. The
report on it follows:
All the states Of the Union save one OF
two forbid prize fights, which have been
sent to the limbo Of condemned customs,
with dueling, slavery, lotteries and polyg-
amy. This bill simply protects the more
advanced states, which have forbidden pu-
gilism as brutal and brutalizing against
having prize fights brought into their bor-
ders in pictures and descriptions, which
are only little less harmful than the de-
grading sport which they describe
This bill does not forbid brief state
ment Of the fight as a matter of news.
This congress in its swift enactment
forbade prize fighting in its whole iuris
diction and so drove prospective prize
fight announced to occur in one of the
territories into the mountains OF Mexico
whose government had also forbidden it.
This bill is but logical extension ant
protection of that act and is in accord ais,
with another act of this congress approved
by this committee and since enacted int
law prohibiting the interstate transporta
tion Of obscene pictures. Pictures Of tn,
brutality of pugilism are hardly less harm
fnl to our youth, and it is in accordanc,
also with the antidivorce act Of congros.
which has protected the families of tn,
whole land against the divorce colonies
of one Of the territories. This bill calls fol
immediate consideration for manifest fea
sons. 1t is believed the reputable press
which describes prize fights only becauus'
of competition, will welcome this protec
tion. Your committee therefore beg leay,
70 report the same to the house, with a rec
ommendation that It do pass