The Washington herald., 1908-01-26


tight again, keeps harping on the fact
that the boxing critics continue to knock
him
tt is true, certain of the writer's do
knock him in pretty nearly every large
city between san Francisco and New
York. But he has himself 20 blame for
il and no one else. More is expected Of
a topnotch heavyweight and claimant
for the championship than mere ability
to fight. No matter how well he can box
or how far he may 0utclass the other
men in his division. he can queer himself
with the fight fans and scribes in many
ways. Burns has done this. First of all,
Ii must be remembered that the Cana
dian can fight possibly better than be
has yet been called upon to show. Beat
ing men like Squire5 and MOir does not
give a true line on his fighting ability
There is no doubt in the world that he
could defeat men who possessed consid-
erably more ability than the Brit0n and the
Australian Just how good Burns really is
no one knows. He viii have to be pitted
against a man Of Jeffries' or JOhnson's s
caliber before it can be known. He seems
10 Outclass the others. with the possible
exception of Al kaufman. OF course, there
is jim Barry. Joe jeanette, and a few
others. but Jenrtes, Johnson. and Kauf-
man must surely be picked on form as
the best three. We're a guessing contest
to be held by the fans at the present
time
I Granting that Burns can fight even a
whole lot better than he is given credit
{ for he never seems to do the right thing
at the right time. Either it is poor judg-
ment on his part or he is badly advised
when the psychological moment for "a dip
lomatic move is In sight According TO
the old-time phrase he is continually
putting his foot in It," He comes out
I'm print, T0asts, says bitter things, and
there seems to be such "a spirit of yindIc-
tiVeuess and al the same time such a pat
Toaizing air about his statements that il
is no wonder he offends people. For eX-
ample, a writer in the West wrote "a story
about Burns that didn't quite suit and
the latter, instead Of accepting the story
i'm the spirit in which it was written,
came out in a bold statement i'm which he
said he was ashamed of. and pitied the
mar who wrote it, Possibly the man
didn't need pity
Duty Ia Criticise.
Ofteuumes writer is called upon to
get after boxer with a rather sharp
pepcil This, In duty to his paper and In
fairness TO his readers, However, il is not
as a man, but as q boXer-his standing
as a professional; a public character, as
it were. Not for any personal reasons.
lHl
Burns do not know him personally. He
isn't d bad fellow; is mild-mannered.
quiet not immodeTately bOastful. and,
best Of adj has sense enough to save the
money he is making so easily and quickly
He isn't al all on the tougholOgy order;
never looks for street fights and In pri-
Vate life is not parsTmoHiOus.
II is as a public character that he IS
criticised. He is unreasonable when it
comes 10 making matches, and the Ameri-
can sp0rtsmen do not care particularly
for that 1t is perfectly proper TO make
a good bargain and for a. boxer TO look
after his own interests, but there is such
"a thing as going too far I'm that direction
Look how unpopular Nelson became while
negotiations for the Cans match at Gold
field were being made; how the majority
of white people in this country We're root
ing for Cans during the fight. and how
fTlghtfully Nelson was roasted after il
was all over and he had been adjudged
the loser
Nelson is a decent little chap. and was
a corking fighter but the unreasonable
ness of his demands, or those Of his man
ager. put him in bad and the stain hasn't
been entirely obIiterated 20 this day He
asked too much; more than the public
thought he should have asked for. and
in consequence, his reputation for fair
ness suffered. Burns is sacredly following
the BattleT's lead and unless he alters
his course, is bound TO suffer the same
as did the tough little Dane
What BURNS Says.
The following excerpts are from pub
lished statements and letters as given out
by Burns.
Il just got through reading a bunch of
American papers. and it's certainly funny
the bunk some writer's hand out. but
guess It's in the business to set knocked
at times. 1t sure won't hurt me. as I'll
have mine when I get through fighting
and [ amt handing anybody any money
for boosting me, either"
Another place he says: I've always
been on the square and tried to do what
was right tt VIII always come back to
Il fellow who isn't that way. I am a
gentleman and a white boy. every inch
Of me" Would, Oh, would. that he had
let some one other than himself make the
latter statement 'Twould have been
more graceful. The Canadian papers took
il up and one in his home town literally
tore him into shreds. so badly that we
wouldn't care TO repeat it, Burns un-
doubtedly would like TO do a sensible
thing SO far as gaining popularity goes,
but there is q slip-up somewhere. Had
vised, probably would cover 1t.
Referring TO Tommy's penchant for
having a keen eve for the main chance.
harll We to the following which he sent
over his own signature 10 q friend of his
in New York. You can gamble that
I'll fight Johnson when I return and I'll
demand the big end too Joe Cans. a
negro, held out for so per cent win, lose
or draw with Memsic, a white boy. in Los
Angeles, and had a chance to fight win
ner take all. but wouldn't do It under
any consideration. Now, watch this white
boy hand it right back of the negro on
the Johnson match. Of course. somebody
might knock about the division, but that
knock won't cut any ice with Tommy
Burns"
Demand Was Unjust.
It's awful foolish for a boxer who is in
the public eye and hopes TO stay there TO
send out anything like the above Two
rights do not make a wrong, and the
proposition may be reversed and stin hold
good. Cans did hold out for the lions
share, and the demand was fully as un-
just as is Burns when ne insists on 80
per cent.
Even if Cans who was the drawing
card in the Gans-Memsic bout. did hold
out for four-tifths Of the prize money, it /