Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-03-18
The Prize Fight.

port from the seat of the pluS-usy
battle at Carson City without so much
as scanning the headlines. 1t would
be Of more interest to know now
many, finding no report. would grum-
BILE that they were not getting the
news for which they had paid. 1t is
however, a well demonstrated fact that
the great majority of the people who
read newspapers will want a full ac-
count of the particulars attending the
fight between Corbett and Fitzslm-
mons. Several years ago the Journal
condensed the telegraphic account OF
big prize fight and the editor being
desirous of observing the amount OF
public interest was at the news stand
when the Boston papers came in the
next afternoOntos see the rush for them.
1t was a rush and mingled in it were
leading business men, men of the high
est moral standing, church deaconsan
several clergymen, though of course the
latter came solely for the other at
tractive features there might be in the
metropolitan papers. But there is no
question of the great amount of gem
eral attention excited throughout the
country by this prize fight The
winner will be able in the future to
make many thousands of dollars out
of this public curiosity and all in all
both win their money. with compari-
tive case. Neither one Of them entered
the ring with likelihood of receiving
greater physical punishment than does
the average street brawler when he en-
ters upon the task of licking one of his
kind. AS a matter of fact much of the
interest taken in this fight is due to
the imagination respecting these two
brusers. But for that two trained
jackasses each set to kicking the others
head off would be just as exciting. In
deed we are of the opinion that il
those two jackasses could be looked
upon as representing certain countries
and could be endowed with a capacity
for trickery their combat would prove
just as interesting to a public whose
Imagination had been sufficiently cult
waited in that direction while their per-
However thick the veneer applied to
this class of physical combat the un-;
derlying instinct which is attracted to
it is of the same quality as that which
is attracted to dog fighting and cock
fighting. Moreover it is an instinct
which should be repressed rather than
encouraged and developed. For this
reason, however much we all may
have of it, however desirable it may
be to retain our admiration for physi-
cal prOwess, we ought not to augment
it at the expense of the finer qualities
nor brutalize ourselves by indulging in
it. If it We're possible to have prize
fighting without the essentially brutal
be altogether different. The lesson
taught by athletic accomplishments is
that they cannot be attained without
subsection to wholesome methods,
without eschewing dissipation and the
vices. All the more must
this abstemisousness be had where the
test is so great as it is supposed to be
in a prize fight. That kind of a contest
is not a particularly dangerous one
from a physical standpoint. though as
now conducted and as it probably al
ways will be, it is dangerous from
every other point of view. Those who
brave physical danger excite admra-
ton more easily, though perhaps with
less lasting impression, than those
who evince great moral courage. But
there are different ways of displaying
physical courage, some much more ad-
mirable than others. Instances are
not uncommon of the bully who terri
fled the camp by his prowess in brawl-
ing, fainting away or Sinking to the
rear when the call to battle sounded
while the STRIPPING that had been over
awed by the bully's fists went among
the bullets without fiinching. While
the principals to a prize fight must
work themselves into condition where,
they either thirst for the others blood
or are able to make the public believe
that they do, the sO-called sport can
not be otherwise than debasing The
combat excites all the worst passions, if
we may judge of the scenes accom-
panying it. These degrading charac..
teristics not only condemn prize fight
ing as wholesome sport but must be
looked to it would seem, to afford
sufficient amount of disgust to afford
DIEASANT TO TAXI