The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-11
THE PEOPLES FORUM
Cause and Enect--Truth and soberness.

Cause and EsffcCt--IrutH anu SODcfucss~
Editor Richmond Virginian:
Dear sr-I am quite heartily in accord with the
post-ght unanimous protest of the against tur-
ther encroachment OF the prize ring upon oui
ization 1t is not impertinent and will be well worth
while to pause moment IN our Vocheralon asaims'
the uhseeIny spectacle OF nun between "a 80
tic champions and its attendant bad effect, ana CON
slider some of the causes that brought aooe e, te
encounter at Reno and the measure Oh Iace
engendered thereby. AS l understand IT, Mr.. Jel-
fries was coaxed from his retirement by sports VINO
insisted that he should come forth to save t"e ple
tge of the white race in the hstic arena by defeat
Ing the black champion of the world. me eNehs
was scheduled to take place on the anniversary Oh
our declared national independence 1t was exploit
ed by the press throughout the land speela CORE
spohdents ana artists were dispatched 10 me -
camps. Front page stories and pictures We're oay
announcements were "hoxea lhoFi ieaue a -
direct wires would supply the bulletin board win
prompt details to be followed by graPhc S.oi.eS ~
eN-pusilsuc ana other celeorltes an tis pt .
the fight made it the one sensationally interesting
white man faced each other on the glorious FouIln
multitudes of whites and blacks, old and young MAZE
ana female, were IN place 70 ger te 4d tbtr
urally the representatives OF eaeh race wanted 'ei
man to win. The black man won fatrly, 1t is ad-
concern lest the peace OF the races be disturbed
be sure. it is proper to prohibit moving picture ex-
hibitjons that might nfame passions. and to
move Tor legal statutes barring brutal prize HBht
ing henceforth. But, suppose the same volume OF
united protest had been made before the hght?~sup-
pose instead of carrying flaming headline stories,
propheses pictures cartoons and what not the great
public press had bounced upon the proposed meet
ing between the black man and the white man MOI
that there editorial dssents but the protests
were tame compared with the post hEht afucles'
ana were weakened by the he"s-caIi!ihs '"iuiiils
Nor viii any pretend that all who became In
tensely interested the outcome OF the battle are
in favor of allowing such things The exploiting OF
the event by the press created the widespread IN
te1est which permeated more or less high as Wen
as society-other wards in Richmond We'll as
Jackson ward cot course, all Of us wanted to know
the RESULT Now. there is not condemnation or the
press which seeks to please the publlc ana III ''lS
instance surely succeeded-but the rather a sugges-
that such strenuous exploitation Of the thing
which subsequently, called forth the united anathemas
the public prints. chiefly served to popularize IT.
a prove superiority" If and the inferior race
wins through Its champion, is 1t to be expected that
the representatives, Of that Will not feel elated
or it out of all probability that the inferior
I everything that goes make Intelligent and
progressive people To pit a representative white
pugtlist against black and parade the event In
! a such popular manifestation or IN
terest in the attends presidential cleo
ton. we'll calculated elate the inferior race
'Beh0Id the white champion cometh forth t. do pat
tie with the black man! All the world Is watching
contest our mans pictures are everywhere
to be seen--his everywhere heard IN connection
with the white man We have never had such recog-
milton before. All this noise and excitement must
mean something, oh, and If We win, what GLAD
day twill be-" Well the champion" fought while
world held breath. The negro wins the White
rats 10 Wrest from him the prestige OF his
brutal champ onship; there is great rejoicing among
the blacks: the whites Rlum, and In some loGaN-
hiiarity rints3nd, there
you are ad nauseam' Now. why should men OF tins
superior race have permitted such situation3 Yea
Veriy--WhN?
Perhaps this rude awakening Of the public con
science to the uuseemlmess OF such exhibitions mas
cause the disqualification Of such sane and decent
sentiment and purpose viii henceforth put under
the alt prize fights. whether for money fame OF
W NJ BICKERs
Richmond, Va, July :. 1910.