The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-04-15
M0RAllzINe over the PRIZE FIGHT.
VARIED ARE the VIEWS ENTERTAINED PRESS COMMITTED

\/NITH COMPARATIVELY few exceptions the daily newspapers Of the
j 4 country gave a great deal Of space to reports Of the recent prize fight
at Carson City, New. between Robert ftzdmmon, and James J. Corbet The
most striking examples of newspaper enterprise in this connection by general
consent, were afforded by the New York Journal which engaged e1Senat"
John J. Ingalls, and the New York World, which secured the services ofex
Champion John l. Sullivan, to rep'@t She fight The character Of such e1hiti
tons and the proper newspaper treatment Of them give ground fr mn af'ernah
Of discussion scarcely less vigorous though very much less space consuming
than the new of the fight We quote y numherof newspapers in their WI de
Tense:
The Love for Fighting Men The highest civilizations in the world held
their gadiators in nor popular regard than they did their kings; the most cold
booded and sdentary person prefers the capper in Lorna Doone which describes
the great contest in which John Ridd tore the tendon from the arm Of Carver
Doone Treasure Island is the modern classic Of England and America because
fits royal fights and the conflicts " Rudolph la"endy" m"a t' he"f@"
two continents beat quicker
Americans of a certain class attach too much importance to the intonectual
They expect all men and women to ftry" to become members Of thu tIMha aiS
toracy represented by the professional class. The aim held before all school boys
and girsis TINT by effort they mny attain to this position in life The resnlt" OF
this constant aspiration II not 40 satisfactory as the promoters Of democracy an
tcpateh 1tis useless to try to erect one stand, and that n intellectual one
for The whole of America It's not possible for legislatures to turn mcn with
prize fighting tendencies into gentlemen with n penchant for Sunday school and
n devotion to blue china, More legislatures eradicate from the vigorous boy
who feels his own healthy young muscles swell within his arms an admiration
for me Of mighty mushew who meet t. highland carry" "ayt his no' III If
the strongest man in the world
we arc not n race of philosophers Academic ideals will not entirely serve
We are not even a r'ce of clerks and spectators and nervous office men Io
blood of all the accs of the world flows in u veins, and all the r~so Of the
world have loved big Fighting men whether they fought n battle o in rings
whether they fought for principle or for fame d" The Chronicle, Chicago
Advance In Fairness aud Dcccncy The remarkable features surround
ing this contest are noticed in the higher plane Q" which it was arranged, having
agovfnor"nd state officials for ITS fricn1s"nd! patrons n Al e United states
senator among it's array of talented reporters No fight was eve 50 carefully
promptly, and ably described Considering the distance and amount of matter
sent owe the wires it was n marvellous achievement and adds slot the fame of the
Geographic and nc~paper enterprise of the present era What effect all TINS
will have upon future ring battles tan not be foremen, bnt the manner in which
the affairs has been conducted, iE advance in fairness and decency' must have
~lntary effect upon tho me who engage in this kind of business The public
"" HbBNt h'WNNrt WIN Wv f"'.I WV "'HhH' w IthihNtN. 'hSI "' N''
the same Generalization and brutality that have characterized hs history in all
times, and will work rs steadily and earnestly for its circu1nscribei limits -
The Desert News Salt Lake City Utah
Civilization Differs from Religion When the pulpit denouncs these
exhibitions 81 the ground that they aro degrading to or better natures we
heartily agree; but when "A mere moralEt protests in The nam of civilization, we
are tempted to hall him upon the witness bench and ask him ifhe knows wha
civilization Is and what results 1t sets ont TO produce The very men who were
punching each other yesterday ire its products And SEE how far its refnements
gol For whereas n hundred years ago two bulies were lo@ed against each
other, with naked fists and nails and teeth. and given full liberty to punch, and
smash and claw, civilization has stepped into tho ring and compelled each con-
teaant to veal gentlcmany gloves Who knows but the pughsts will be com
PEELED to meet each other in dress suits n hundred years from nowY-The Con
shtution, Atlanta Ga.
That prize fighters are boxers sis O reason why boxing shonM be tabooed
Any good thing may be carried to a excess that makes 1t u wrong lntemper
nnco is not confined to oyc1ndugence in intoxicants though n great many al
legged nformen conduct their campaigns along that line The Carson City affair
serves 10 call attention to the great benefits of careful adherence to the laws OF
health and this lesson should not he forgotten in the great wave of moral indig
nation that IL aroused at the sight Of two men fighting Ikea pir of bulldogs -
The World Herald. Omaha, Nebr
The Duty of Reputable Jonrnnlism r"Tho course taken by tho Ledger
with reference to the Carson City prize fight refusing to print dehlsl has
evoked a remarkable expression Of approval from its readers. The let
tms published in the Ledger are exceedingly valuable as indcia of the existence
here of n newspaper constituency which demands and will literally Hupportclean
journalism, When tho occasion presents itself this constituency will make itself
heard in Its own forms of expression Two deaths in this city n the result of
the brutal tendency foAcrcd by the Carson affair and tho two deaths which "c
ly enough what tragic consequences flow from the gorfcation of the heroes of
the prize ring A Boston journal portentouIy says that Nevada has much to-
answer for not only locally but nationally The influence she sends abroad
tends to arouse the sumbcrng brute in society, There art victims already and
more to come
This tendency to rouse british instincts, the direct outcome of the Carson
disgrace must be checked by wholesome public opinion reflected in the news
papers The country has made decided progress toward n better state with ref
erence to the prize ring, as the laws of nearly all the American states abundant
y attest But these laws are not adequate in every instance and in certain
communities the laws. sufficient in themselves, are feehly executed. The intro
dncion of bills inivarious Legislatures now in session prohibiting ven the pic
toml exhibition of prize fights shows that society is disposed to apply drstcI
remedies Ito this evil, W. in its mIdest manifestation Reputable journalism
must give tone md encouragement to every efforts to suppress this dangeousl
socal'd sport until it is no longer countenanced in any community "-Thcl
Ledger, Philadelphia |