The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-28

Editor Of The Times:
Sir.-My attention has recently been
called to the article below, clipped from
the Public Ledger. of Philadelphia, issued
March 18th. l have long admired the
manliness OF The Times. and the courage
and Independence it'll which II rises 10 the
true sphere OF honorable Journalism. The
teaching power Of the press is enormous.
and full OF grave responsibilities. Every
body reads the papers, and public opinion
on every mater is affected by It, as well
rs individual conduct. cheerfully ac-
knowledge my Indebtedness over and over
again. sVhen l learn to have confidence
In a truthful, self-respecting paper, leave
OF judging Its character by its conduct,
as IN the man l come 10 know, and on
the contrary. judge its conduct by the
character 1 have learned 70 rely on.
] confess therefore. the modification
with which I looked at The Times just
after the Carson fight and saw its pages
literally covered with cartoons OF the
fighters. and columns OF reading on the
shameful affair. Flaming accounts OF the
disgusting exhibition are corruptlng to
youth. 1t recently was discovered that
set OF desperate criminals, when caught
in their den, were surrounded with such
literature. and lives OF Jesse James and
the Ike, and confessed they read nothing
else
Corbett says Il IS more glorious 10 be
a champion fighter than President OF the
United States What a comment on
American taste The Ledger published this
Indictment m lieu Of any other notice:
FENNER s. STICKNEY.
A BRUTAL EXHIBITION.
The great convention OF degenerates
.,rNf, oh, oil ~
day 70 witness the Corbett-Fitzsimmon
prize fight. was a dlsgraceful spectacle
in a country which claims TO have reached
the high tide Of civilization. Happily. that
assembly, great as IL was IN point or
numbers, cannot be accepted as typical
OF the state OF society in the United
States at the close of the nineteenth CEN
fury. There Is only one State in the
American Union which throws the mantle
OF legal sanction over such a scene. Ne
vada, by deliberate choice, has become
the cock pit OF the country and no other
State is likely TO rival her bad eminence.
Since the days OF Heenan and Savers the
moral sentiment OF the country has made
Itself felt in many Legislatures. and prize
fighting IS now under the legal ban, save
in one community. the most retrogressive
among American Commonwealth. The
lnNeSuluFe OF nevada WIN StdtenOOu was
a grave mistake. and II IS unfortunate
that there IS no provision in the Federal
Constitution by which Nevada could be
remanded 10 a territorial condition, or be
absorbed by a more self-respecting State.
There was scarcely any dissent, except
from clergymen, to the action OF the Ne
vada Legislature when the bill licensing
pugilistic encounters was pending in that
body. At one time the defeat OF the bill
seemed probable; but two doubtful
senators were won over by he flood OF
kilograms which poured into Carson. urg-
ing the passage OF the bill. The old law.
prohibiting such contests. was never en-
forced. and IL was claimed that nine
tenths OF the people OF the State wanted
this law repealed. The Governor was
easily persuaded to sign the new measure
upon the specious pretext that II would
promote business In the decayfng State
and the motley assemblage OF thugs. gam
blers. british men and shameless women
brought together at Carson yesterday
was the sequel.
with gambling licensed institution and
prize fighting under the shield OF law. It
is not surprising that the State this week
was the Mecca OF the most disreputa-
BILE elements that ever assembled At one
place In the country's history. The crowd
that shouted itself hoarse at Carson. with
the varying fortunes Of the fight, was .
study n human Aagsnaraa1 nat aktAAl