The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-09-20
MINISTERS REPLY
TOTHE ADVERTISER
State Their Argument Against prize.Fights and
Their Attitude Towards Greater Evils in
These sIands.-.Points Taken Up.
Honolulu. Sept 10. 1906.

Honolulu, Sept. 10, 1906.
Editor Advertiser: Our appreciation
of the Advertiser as a reform agent
in the community makes US regret the
your editorial in this mornings paper
headed Boxing Contests" We beg leave
to deny your implication that We alb
solutely refuse to help abate the cry
ing evils of the town. and that while
doing so we misuse our opportunity by
making fierce onslaught on the
lesser eviI'' of prize-fghting. We are
tolera ting in the way of evil only what
we believe we have to. We are handi-
capped in many directions through lack
OF laws or through lack of officials
who are willing to enforce them. Give
us the law as we have it on priZe-fght-
ing, and an official who will be true
to his oath in enforcing the law, as Mr.
Breckons has promised to do when we
test against the continuance of prize
fighting, and you viii find out whether
we merit the censure you visit upon u.s.
If there is any move we can make by
suredly stopped as the one of which we
have complained, will you not please
point the way? We will sincerely
thank you for enlightening us and thus
helping US toward the attainnent of
coveted goal.
THE LESSER EVIL" IDEA.
But, pray, why do you cry out against
our disposition to stop even a lesser
evil'' which can be stopped, untn We
have silenced all the greater evils, re-
gardless of whether the probability of
being able to silence them lies in the
immediate or remote future? If this be
your adnonition it is quite different
from that you gave the Anti-Saloon
League when you urged that they &C
cept Local Option and High License as
their war cry rather than Prohibition,
because it was better to secure pos
sible good than attempt an impossible
best. Isn't it prima facie evidence OF
the weakness of any mans cause when
he has to begin his defense of it by
pointing out that there are lot of
worse things in the world which should
first have been put on the defensive?
But your charge that these worse evils
pass us unchallenged except in an
academic way would hardly have been
made if you had been attending our
meetings.
THE REPRESENTATIVE CITIZEN
IDEA.
It is true, as you say, that some Of
our representative citizens attend the
1t is also true that some
of these representative citizens have no
hesitation in acknowledging that they,
along with others promipent in terri
torial life, are given to gambling.
Therefore, to wink at thing because
citizens give it the
weight of their example would mean
the undoing of all the excellent work
the Advertiser has done during the past
year in its anti-gambling crusade.
LESS BRUTAL THAN FOOTBALL.
You defend prize-fighting on the
ground that it is much less brutal than
football. You no doubt are aware that
a strong sentiment has developed re-
Gently in the football colleges them
selves against football because of it's
and because of the gambling
it provoked Why encourage in the
any brutality whatever? 1t
t.e,lT
that it isn't stopped. But even IN the
laws absence some of the schools have
declared against it and others are in
fair way to do so.
THE BETTING FEATURE.
You cite the attitude of Mr.. Whiting
ton and say that the betting feature
IS the only trouble with the prize-fights. {
We believe that is not the "only trou-
ole..' But if it were, even that of
tseif. with the betting element it at
-racts is enough. If we had our way |
Iii the other things you mention as ac-
by betting would be stopped
f not divorced therefrom. How are j
you on gambling? Will you say as
much? Some of these games we think
ire of such a nature as to be capable !,
If being freed from the bet. Concern t
NO the prize-fights we have grave
doubts
BOXING CONTESTS"
We are amused and provoked at the
of your term Boxing Con-
ests." How mild the game becomes
rhen attacked. Until then it is prize
lighting" 1t is so advertised and so
exported through the columns of all
he papers. We are told how they
fought like tends: how "he received
right swing under the ear which
fitted him off his feet and spraWled
i'm face down in the sawdust'' how
both men stood the heavy punishment
Fell''; and how an angry crowd in