Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-30
Aiding and Abettins Prize Fighting.

lead of the House and passed to be en-
crossed the anti-kinetoscope bill. The
good people of the State OF Maine may
we'll be spared representations of prize
fights in view of the lamentable repre-
sensations of the inefficiency of making
people good by legislation which are
constantly before them.-Boston Tran
script.-Well, the Transcript has what
knowledge that Massachusetts stands
ready to supply all the rum and
kaleidoscope entertainment Maine peo-
pie may seek at her hands. If only
that good old state will repeal her law
trying to make people good by for
bidding prize fights she doubtless could
divert still more Maine shekels in her
direction. Perhaps she would accom-
plish much along that line by enforc-
ing the anti-prize fight law after the
manner Boston is supposed to enforce
the laws against brothels and gambling
houses, laws which were passed, of
course. in the desire to make people
good by legislation. Missouri appears
to be another state so tired of trying to
legislate goodness that she is suffering
relapse and proposes to legalize
Prize fighting. To be consistent Mass
achusetts should do likewise.
Some who at heart are sincerely de-
sirous of eliminating the brutalizing
influences of pugilism object to a law
forbidding the exhibition of kineto-
scopic views of prize fights. The prin-
cipal reason they advance is that there
may be other just as Objectionable
features of microscopic exhibitions
and that there would be no end of such
legislation, which would consequently
be carried to the extreme and only ex-
cite ridicule. They also argue that it
would be just as desirable to prohibit
newspaper pictures of the fight. Those
who are assuming this ground seem to
overlook the fact that prize fighting is
prohibited for the very reason it is de-
sired to prohibit these pictorial exhibi-
tions which cannot be compared in at
Effectiveness, effect or otherwise with
newspaper illustrations. Prize fighting
is not forbidden in order to save the
fighters from physical injury but to
save the public from the degrading in
fiuences inseparable from such per-
formances. But through the marvel
Gus mechanism this effect can be re-
produced in such life-like manner as to
almost duplicate the actual occurrence,
upon the onlookers are concerned,
and also afford opportunity to produce
upon hundreds of thousands almost if
not precisely the same demoralizing re-
suits that the forbidden prize fight
produces upon one Individual More
over by means of the kaleidoscope,
without which such elaborate affairs
as that recently held in Nevada would
be impossible, the general public, in
stead of a few ,'sports," are made
patrons of pugilism. Prohibition of
this sort of exhibition is needed to rem
der effective the laws which all states
save one now have to prevent prize
fighting. Is it consistent to forbid the
latter and not forbid the more perni-
cious because more widely operative
exhibition. which to nearly if not all
intents and purposes is counterpart
of the fight itself? To be sure laws do
little in the way of reforming or keep
ing people in moral health, but they
exert some influence, otherwise we
might as well follow Nevada's example
in licensing the prize fight and thus be
consistent. Under existing conditions
the kaleidoscope license almost war
rants prize fighting. and at best aids
and abets it.