The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-04

cepted by many, that men who work
hard all week should be allowed such
relaxation as they choose on the one
day on which they are at liberty to
call the time at their disposal their own
We repudiate the premises on which IL
is sought, not indeed to Justify cock
fighting. which is utterly unjustihable
on Sunday or any other day, or under
any circumstances. but to mitigate its
exccrable culpability. Respectable and
representative workingmen do not go
TO cock fights. 1t is unfortunately true
that they are sometimes Indifferent
to their existence, but they do not
countenance them by their presence
at any rate. The cock fighting fra
ternitv are mainly loafers. idlers and
hoOdlums who ensnare unwary youths
with wages in their pockets into these
demoralizing resorts.
We do not want the cock pit rejuven-
ated in the United states The sport
of Kings" was believed to have died out
with the last Of its royal followers. But
snort is the most conservative and
static Of human institutions. Pugilism
has practically undergone no essential
modification in its practice since pre-
historic man employed his fists as
weapons of offcnse and defcnce-a time
probably anterior to his use of club,
flint arrow head or stone hatchet. Such
games as cricket foot ball, and base
ball are intuitive developments of mans
pursuit in satisfaction of sportive and
playful desires. The artificial restric-
tions under which they are at the pres
ent day followed cannot conceal their
primordial and ingenious origin. We
as a civilized and Christian people decry
the barbarous and inhuman sport Of
bullhghtinE. 1t is so repugnant to our
feelings towards dumb. sentient ami
mails that we loathe it for the degrada-
tion of human nature which it involves.
We execrate the banderillo and his red
flag, the agile matador and his stiletto.
with possibly no less hatred than the
tortured bull in the arena regards them
The Spaniard, on the other hand,
would call our supcrsensitlve at
tention to the prize ring and the
cock pit as American institutions of re-
putc in comparison with which bull
fighting has at least the negative ad-
vantares of popular approval and his
toric associatiO and the positive one
Of inspiring courage and fearlessness.
Something must be conceded to the
Spaniard i'm the argumentative CON
trast The Spanish matador is not one
whit more cruel than the hacker at a
prize fight nor the banderillo than the
hceler at a cock fight. We may claim,
however that public opinion in this
country antagonizes the prize ring and
the cock fight. The law of nearly all,
if not all the states of the Union pro-
hibits prize fighting and cock fighting.
1t is little, however, to the purpose
when the law is not carried out.
District Attorney Jones declares that
he will put a stop to cock fighting. In
his efforts he will have the cooperation
Of The Tribune. The law should not
tarrv until stimulated by private repre-
eeutation. There are hundreds of roost-
crs around Scranton i'm training to tear
each other to pieces as soon as they are
brought together. When we think Of
the laceration or cruel death of these
beautiful and innocent birds in the cock
pit, it is not merely sentimentalism
which urges a resort to physical Casti-
cation of the degraded wretches in ad-
dition to any other punishment the law
may mrte out TO them. The thanks
and appreciation of the community are
due to Father Smoulter in his enlight-
oncd efforts TO bring the cock fighting
miscreants to justice. If few stern
examples are set before the cock fight
ing fraternity il will bring home to
them in what light law and society re-
gard this sport and the "sportsmen"
who practice II.