The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-01-11

A PLEA FOR PUo1L1sM

hoped that some OF Luem VIII 20
through. at least. ! want to- say right
here that there was never any real rea-
son TO begin with why pugilism should
have been debarrel had Sc not been
ln most instances for the work OF
crooked sporting men, Who used the
game as a lever 90 jimmy themselves
into some easy money. Perhaps thai,
statement sounds "a little strong, oll
believe DC just the same.
Naturally I believe that the fighting
game is all right. because I've got
good bunch of what money / have by
it. and ] know there are lot OF people
who are going To- rise up and call down
ali kinds of hard things ON me because
] think So A whole Doc of them VIII
say rilht of ,ne bat. that I'm brute.
that I'm naturally preiudiced and that
my opinions won't be of any value
anyway because I'm am interested
party. but ] think nay word win go as
far as that of q narr0w-m'nded man
OF woman who doesn't know anything
about pugilism. never saw lght and
couldn't De dragged within haii of one
with yoke of oxen.
Boxing is a good game and ] don't
care what those opposed TO 30 may say.
The talk of brutality is tommy DO. to
begin with. for there are more mon
burt I'M one year ON the football field
than are or have been damacel in boX-
Ling or sparrinc in 90 That Is am alb
I solutely fair statement. and 10 can be
proved mp Co the hlt ll is only nec-
essary To- read ihe papers fo find ont
just The average number of injuries
THAT occur ON the football field. and io
notice how very seldom sou hear
Tor see a1y.hiue That soes wrong in .he
prize ring.
To begin with. the men who fight
with their hands are men who know
exactly what they are doing and just
how many chances they are taking.
They know that a punch on the nose
won't do any HARM but sometimes viii
do them a world of good; they know
that a sound walloping viii leave them
sun and sore for some days perhaps,
but that they won't be any the worse
for it a week later. Another thing.
sparring makes "a man keep his tenn
per as a rule. I'll guarantee you never
saw successful pugilist who had a
mean or quick disposition. He's got
To- keep his head. or get knocked into
the middle of next week. It's great
training, too. the fighting game for it
does a whole lot Of things for a man.
I've generally noticed that it's the
anaemic, spectacled, palefaced, near
men who kick about the brutality Of
the game. and they are assisted by a
few excellent delegates from the Old
WOman's Home, who think it un-
christian to lift the hand to another
b human being. I suppose their point Of
view is all right but if you'll show me
a country that can use its fist, and
does use it to settle its petty quarrels,
i'm show you a nation that comes pret-
ty near to keeping Itself on top of the
heap all the way around the circle.
The men who grab for a knife or a
gun the minute they hit a streak of
trouble are generally towards. and they
are also the kind that treat women
badly. and I'm addition they show de-
ceit. iu-breeding and a whole lot of
degenerate features that We don't
think so much of over here. I think
that ever since man vas put on this
earth he's had to - more or less fight
ing. and If an the old timers tell us
about the days gone by Is true, he usual
ly took mighty good care of himself
We've improved on his sword and Dis
dirk and his ak or club since those
times. and we've gone back to The
weapons that Nature handed out To- us
I'm the first place. and when You see a
man take off his coat and announce
that he's willing to abide by The who
the best man" theory, you can come
pretty near being sure that you've got
fair specimen of the AnglO-SaXOn TO
deal with. We don't think so much
of the Chinaman the Italian, the Ger
man or the Frenchman these days. De-
cause we know they won't fight as a
general rule. but we know 30 isn't safe
To- stir up the lrishman. the Scotch
man. the Englishman or the. Yankee
too far unless we can prove what Wc
say on his front teeth
To me that's a healthy spirit Tc
the good folks who try to stop thc
game it's rank degeneracy, but they r,
wrong and they always will be wrong
I'm for legalized boxing, principally
because l think it's the finest anl
healthiest sport I'm the world. but only
Just 50 long as it isn't degraded by d
lot of rank grafters. like those who
killed It in New York. Don't you le
anyone try to convince you that when
New York passed an anu-boxing law
10 was a fine sentiment of decency or ;
proper decision that brutality was be-
ing carried too far. because It WASH
ANYTHING of the kind. There would b'
boxing I'm a good many states today
if the crooks hadn't got in and trie,
10 run the thing on green goods prin
ciples. You can't bunco the patrons o
any game am the time-with the eX
ception, maybe. of life insurance-an'
expect them to stand for it, and it was
that way with the fighting game. Ih'
grafters found they could make a goo,
thing out of &C.. ana they couldn't ID
Satisfied with 10 on that basis. but had
TO go and ut up piking little jobs t'
steal themoney little faster They had
10 dig around and get hold of a good
old fighter and stack him mp against
raw ringer that they insisted was an
Irish champion. when as a cold fact h'
was never nearer to Ireland than Wes
street I'm New York city, unless IL wa.
COney Island.
The public got sore. Of course; who
wouldn't? Aud the crooks pulled Jus