The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
THE YOUNG KING OF SPAIN.
what He Might Substitute for the
National Bull Fight.

New Orleans Times Democrat.
1T is cruel and I do not like IL myself"
said the boy King OF Spain. in speaking OF
the bull fights which were a conspicuous
part OF the festivities attending the coro-
nation ceremonies. Il would Ike 10 intro
duce horse racing as a substitute" ne
added. This speech gives promise that the
young King viii make a creditable mon
arch. If. young as he is, he has seen the
cruelty in bull fighting there Is promise
that with advancing years he will grow In
grace, as the catechism says. and become
a mild and gentle ruler-a ruler who viii
lead his people 10 better things. instead OF
10 worse. as is the usual habit OF kings
II Is rather an eXceptionable boy that
sees cruelty In anything that is not physi-
cally painful TO himself and Alfonso gives
promise that he has the germ % a great
and good man within him. For years bull
lighting has been a discredit 10 Spain and
TO Spanish people throughout the world IL
Is the most brutal and brutaliZing OF ali
forms of sport, IT, indeed Ii can be digni-
ned with the name OF sport. II is sport
attended with certain death TO the bull and
no danger whatever to the bull fighter. and
sport OF necessity has an element OF chance
IN II. When one goes lion or tiger hunting
he necessarily imperils his own skin. and
while the beasts have the worst OF the
game ordinarily they at times become the
hunter instead Of the hunted. Ii is this ee-
ment Of chance that makes of what other
wise would be mere slaughter a sport.
Prize lighting is a sport" IL Is true,
though in a somewhat degraded and obsO-
lescent form; but IL is sport only so long
as both men are on their feet and able 70
give as well as 10 take punishment. The
bull In a bull fight takes all the punish
ment, and his desperate efforts 10 reach his
tormentors are the more pitiful because the
spectator knows that he has no chance
whatever to reach his enemies. For all his
strength and courage he is a mere infant
in the hands of his slayers, who are not
humane enough TO give the mercy stroke
until the assembled crowd has had Its I'll
OF the horrors attending the sticking OF
darts Into the enraged and helpless crea-
ture.
If AIphonso succeed in displacing bull
fighting with horse racing or any other
form Of sport, he will have achieved an
abiding good for Spain. There are any
number OF exciting and strenuous sports
in the world that can take the place Of the
brutal pastime. In recent years the Gu
bans have become baseball fans" and
why should not the Spaniards? Football
games between two elevens OF gigantic
players Is much more exciting game than
bull fighting without any OF its brutality.
When a football player has enough OF
ceive it. In the bull fight the poor beast
goes certainly TO death after hours per-
haps Of unnecessary torture.
The brutalizing effect of the sport was
clearly shown in the fights at the corona
ton ceremonies. Those who had been &C
cumstomed to 1.-THE game probably
lnOuenl the uBnlS were rather common
place affairs while the foreign diplomats
were sickened at the cruelties. Mrs. Curry.
wife of the American minister. was made
absolutely i'll by the scenes that fashion
and custom decreed that she must witness,
while the Spanish ladies went away chat
ting about the achievements OF this or that
tOreadOr. These Spanish ladies were doubt
less as tender-hearted the American, but
custom had deadened their sensibilities so
that the horrors did not appeal TO their
otherwise gentle hearts. Success 10 King
Alfonso in his efforts TO abolish bull fight
ing, no matter with what form Of sport ne
replaces it, Prize fighting is preferable.
and even ping-pong would be a good SUBJ
stitute