The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-15
FORMER PRESIDENT SAYS EVILS
WHICH HAVE BECOME ATTACH
ED TO PRIZE FIGHT KILL 1T.
HE APPROVES BOXING SPORT
But Only AS Sport-He Further Be
Ieves That Stopping the Exhibition
OF Fight Pictures Would Be An Ad-
visabIe Measure-End Of Fights.

editorial in the Outlook Theodore
Roosevelt expresses his opinion of the !
recent prize fight between Johnson
and Jeffries and of prize fighting in
general Mr.. Roosevelt believes that
this sport should be abolished and
further he declares that stopping the
exhibition of fight pictures would be
an advisable measure Col Roose-
yelt's editorial follows:
Il have always been find OF boXlue,
and have always believed in it rs =
vigorous, manly pastime, one OF those
pastimes which have distinct moral
and physical value, because they eE
courage such essential virtues as couG-l
age, hardihood, endurance. and self
control. Until within a few years,
used to box good deal myself, and
when | was young several times took
part in contests of a public or semi
public nature-generally, | am bound
to say, with i'll success. / think box
ing is sport which should be en-
cOuraged among boys and young men
generally. | have been glad to help
| it so far as | could in the army and
navy, where 1 believe, it has been an
excellent thing for the enlisted men.
| When | was police commissioner |
was much struck by a statement made
to me by Jacob Riis to the effect that
| the establishment of boxing clubs in
many of the poorer districts had re-
suited in good, in rather unexpected
ways; that is, had not only given the
vigorous young fellows who otherwise
would join gangs a Legitimate outlet
for their activities, but had also mark
edly reduced the number of affrays
in which the knife was used. The
! spirit produced by the boxing had
told against knife-fighting. and dis
I tinctly discouraged unfair play.
Therefore, from every standpoint
Il i believe in the encouragement of
boxing as a sport Moreover. boxing
as profession has its good side also.
Among the men whose friendship and
regard / have really valued | could
name number of professional boxers.
including several ring champions.
The men to whom | refer | found
square, descent men who. showed
themselves good citizens when their
good citizenship was tested. | ap-
proved of the movement, which in
this state, at the time that | was DO.
lice commissioner, resulted in rhe
enactment Of law permitting con
tests between professional boxers,
under conditions which We're meant to
safeguard the sport against brutality
and the other evils which have ev.
eryWhere resulted sooner or later in
the suppression of the prize ring. |
saw several Of these public boxing
contests in which the intent of the
law was carried out in good faith
Nevertheless, even under this law
abuses crept in, and finally. one or
Two fights occurred where the sur-
rounding circumstances we're so scan.
dalous that when | was governor was
Obliged to advocate. and finally to
secure, the repeal cf the law under
which the contests took place. feeling
/ convinced, together with the great
majority OF the citizens OF the state.
that under it almost all that made
/ prize fighting Objectionable and de.
moralizing had gradually been reviy-
/ ed.
Now this was my experience. the
| experience OF a man who, so far from
being prejudiced against boxing. was
and is a warm advocate of IT, and who
al the outset, had not the slightest
prejudice against professional boxing
that is, boxing for purses of money
and who has numbered among his
/ friends many men who were profes.
sionals and had fought for money
prizes, l am sure that what has hap.
pened i'm New York will happen in the
nati-n at large. and that prize fight
ins will be. as it ought to be. stopped
in every state OF the union. Since
it was stopped in New York the con
ditions surrounding the ring have
grown worse. and not better. The
money prizes fought for are enormous
and are a potent source of demorsl
zation in themselves. while they are
often so arranged as either to be a
premium on crookedneSs or else 70
reward nearly as amply the man who
fails as the man who succeeds. The
betting and gambling upon the re-