The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-15
AN UNREASONABLE COMPLAINT.

Within a day or two the press reports
called attention to the fact that crimes
of violence had increased in remarkable
degree in the city of Chicago, and that
the thugs and highwaymen had sue
ceeded in terrorizing the community. The
press Of the city had it was said, work.
ed itself into great rage over the situa-
ton, and demand was almost certain
to be made for the removal of the heads
of the police department and for a gem
eral reorganization of that body.
Coneurrently with these reports We
read of the conduct of "a savage prize
fight between two young lads, maintain
ed in Chicago solely and only for the
gate money" One of them is seen
blind, bloody, weak and reeling over a
public stage, beaten. by his opponent who
puts forward every physical resource to
knock him insensible in order that the
share of the gate money which goes to
each shall he calculated on a basis more
favorable to the successful boxer. The
police stand by, together with thousands
of spectators, and watch the brutal show,
waiting patiently until the poor battered
remnant of humanity is beaten to the
ground and made insensfbIe or until 1.-The
gong sounds" terminating the awful
scene.
The newspapers, which condemn the
police force for its inefficieney in sup
pressing thugism and robbery reports
with touching fullness of details of this
shocking exhibition, and the readers IN
whose behalf they protest against the
reign of thugism, swallow each detail Of
the disgusting fray. Yet wonder is ex-
pressed thatathere should be a reign of
thugism prevailing. in Chicago.
1t is too often the case that the police
are in completely with the criminals. It
was the case too recently right here in St
Paul to call for any especial comment.
But there is no such completely in the
case of Chicago. It is not necessary
that there should be in order to explain
,-e prevailing outbreak of crimes of vIo-
lence in that city. The fact that such
a vile exhibition as that given in the
last two rounds Of the recent McGovern-
Broad prize fight can be tolerated in any
community offers all the explanation that
is necessary if the community is handed
over to the domination of the criminals
1ne New York legislature was compell-
e., for the protection of society, to put
in operation a law which practically does
away with boxing exhibitions. This
became necessary because those who are
personally interested in prize fights and
fighters could not be relied on to observe
the law which permitted boxing contests,
but aimed to put an end to just such ex-
hibitions as that which took place at
TattersalFs, in Chicago, on Tuesday
night. Their interest is a money interest
conducted on a money basis. Most of
them have been frauds, and all Of them
have been more Or less brutal. Nc COM
munity has a right to complain which
MUS Al5Sh IA Inc StdSp VI It's cdlilliAdl
classes which will allow the brute in
stinct among men to manifest itself and
to come under public protection as it did
in this case. Indeed, it would not be far
out of the way to say that the people OF
Chicago may consider themselves espe-
cially fortunate in having so high a de-
gree of public order maintained as pre-
walls, especially in view of the accepted
standards of public taste and public
morals in that community.