New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
COME OUT INTO THE OPEN.

The opposition to prizefighting In this State
was intelligently represented at Wednesdays
hearing on the Horton law repeal bill introduced
by Assemblyman Lewis and now in the hands
of the Committee on Codes. But 1t is not yet
clear that the supporters of Mr.. Lewis put
ting enough vim into their campaign. There is
no doubt of their sincerity, and desire espe-
cally to commend Mr.. Lewis himself for his
straightforward, plainspOken methods Of pro-
cedure. He has already shown that he Is not
afraid to attack the pugilistic ring, though he
knows and declares that it is intrenched in both
parties 1t is still impossible to say decisively
what the Republican organization intends to do
about the matter, but the committee is seem
ingIy hostile to the repeal bill, and there is no
proof that Mr. Odell's cautious denunciations Of
the industry which the Horton law protects and
fosters have caused its promoters serious
anxiety. Mr.. Lewis believes that he can count
on votes enough in the Assembly to take the
repeal bill away from the committee and pass
it, and trust he is not too sanguine; but
citizens who feel the bIistering disgrace to
which the State is subjected will make a mis-
take if they permit their representatives at the
capital to suppose that this is trifing matter,
concerning which they can afford to be tricky
or Indifferent.
Much was said on Wednesday about the util-
ity OF athletic exercises and the value of in
struction in the art of self-defence but 1t Is
perfectly safe TO assert that everybody who
spoke or listened knew that all such talk was
impudent nonsense uttered with deliberate dis
honesty in the interest Of the few individuals
who are making large profits out of the busi-
ness, and of those who, secretly or openly. love
a prizefght. For it is prizefghtng and nothing
else that the law enables these men to carry
on, and prtzefghting of a worse sort than was
ever known elsewhere. Under other conditions
professional pugilism has at times been honest,
however brutal. Here and now 1t is as brutal
it ever was, and it is filthy swindle besides.
Mr. Odell was right on that point, however
much or little he may have meant to say. AS
often as one of these fights advertised far and
wide as such, and as such attractive to every
rufian in the country, comes off, the men who
have bet on the wrong man on that particular
occasion break out into curses Of the thieves
who have pocketed their money, while those
who secured the straight tip or happened to
guess right curse back with equal vigor.
If the game were confined to such black
guards, or even to grown men of a semi-respect-
able class, who willing and able to pay for
the privilege of seeing one pugilist more or less
skilfully knock another silly, it wouldn't mat
ter so much. The worst feature of the New
York prizeight is that it diffuses a wholly de-
moralizing influence throughout the State, and
in particular engenders vile propensites in an
ever increasing number of boys and young fel-
lows who would otherwise have a fair chance
to escape degradation. And 1t is an especially
exasperating reflection, Assemblyman Lewis
suggested, that n little ring of swindlers, whose
occupation will be gone If the repeal bill passes,
may succeed, by means of their political affilia-
tons and the money they are eager to spend, in
defeating the will of the great majority of the
people. Mr.. Lewis talked right out Wednes-
day to '+those members Of the Assembly some
"of whom are also members of this committee,
'who are sent here in the interest of the prize
fighters and the men who employ them" That
is bold and salutary identification, and 1t at
once raises the question to what extent such
members of the Assembly are supported by
secret knowledge of the sympathes and pur-
poses Of the Republican machine. We hope that
Mr.. Lewis, having gone so far, Is prepared in
case Of necessity to go further In the mean
time, as he implied, the men who dictate poll
cies to the majority at Albany are evincing
characteristic political folly by their failure to
put themselves clearly and irrevocably on rec
ord against the New-YOrk prize ring