The evening times., 1897-12-31

Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 31.-Jamcs j. Cor.
bett has issued his promised challenge to
Fitzsinmons. 1t follows:
"YouI published declaration, Mr. Fitz'
simmons, that you intend re-entering the
ring, pleases me more than can at present
express To you, for know that the public
esteems tne tc be the only candidate for
the honors you thus place within reach.
~ am sorry, however, to note that in
wording this declaration you give me tue
impression that since we last met you
have become unwisely forsetfm. For in
stance, you say that before can claim n
return II atch with you must prove myself
to be worthyuf it. You certainly intended
this as a jok e, for no one in the worldknows
my ability better than yourself.
You cannot So soon have forgotten
Your remark to me at Carson City just
after the battle. 'Jim,'' You said in
Your simple, earnest way, IN never fight
again. You've given me a bloody good
licking
You, the winner, uttered these words,
with face and body SO battered as To
leave no doubt of your sincerity, which /.
the loser, listened, with never a bruise OF
scratch from head to foot which could
contradict You.
..Is this consistent with your lo-v re
qucsting me to go prove myself to be
worthy opponent? You will find the con
fidence of the public in my ability to enter
tain you still unshaken. You will
find that public opinion will insist upon
your rec oogDizing my claim that you mus:
meet me a gam.
But surely youhave been misrepresented.
/ refuse to credit you with the lamc
memory. broken judgment, poor taste and
entire untruthfulness which the printed re-
marks alleged to have been made by You
would imply.
II prefer to think that those who have
entered thr ring with me were men, honest,
brave and incapable of the vulgar, lying
and cowardly language in which the
newspaper version of your remarks was
couched However well / know that the
great journals try TO be and usually are ac-
curate to the letter In reporting utterances
made by important men uron important
subjects, l prefer to believe that In this
case grave error has been made somehow,
somewhere and fol a purpose not worthy
of one who wishes to be considered above
contempt.
What the public expects from me is to
maintain the manly dignity of the ring,
and not to be a brawler nor a shifty
evader OF the honest principles which gov
ern horest men when adjusting their re-
spective merits.
This IS all 1 have to say, but this is
what l Propose To do
THE day we sign articles 1 will Civ.
you 81 200 l.. recognition of your courtesy
''Tne moment You enter the ring ready "a
offer me battle l VIII give You second
81 900 in token of my pleasure.
Upon the completion of the tenth round,
II you are still undefeated, will give yo1
third thousaId as Il souvenir OF my sur
prise.
Upon defeating You, no matter in what
round. l will give You 50 coo more as 4
reminder that am not an ungenerous foe.
"On the other hand, should You defeat
me, / promise, il still able to move, to
place my hat upon my head, and then, re-
moving it in Your honor, to proclaim You
in frank and uDmistskable terms, to be
my superior. and state that then and there
quit foreN er all possible claim To the cham
pionship of the world.
Let further remarks on this subject be
made by 900 clear, honestly made meri-
can dollars. given me by the public, that
believes in me. / have this day forwarded
these to Will j. Davis, of Chicag go, in tes-
timony that l mean every word that 1
have herein spoken.
ia MES J.CORBETT,
Champion of America
To Mr.. Robert Fitzsimrnons, Champion
of the woIld.''