The Cairo bulletin., 1910-07-04
THE LAST WHIRL OF SIN

Concluding an editorial comment on
today's event at Reno, the Courier.
Journal says:
THE last whirl of sin is likely to
be nothing more than the end OF
| fighting in our boundaries-if indeed
it proves to be fIlat-and its transfer
to another soil.
| But if the modern prize fights are
brutal they are far less so than those
| of ancient times. The Reno encoun-
ter will probably be as ping pong com
| pared with foot ball wnen contrasted
with prize fight in the days of the
Greek and Roman gladiatorial con-
tests. when strips of rawhide We're
knotted or loaded with lead or iron
and bound to the fists of the con
testants 10 give flip to the exhibit
ion by making the blood fly. For
about two centuries pugilism has
been more scientific and less brutal
than it was for hundreds of years be-
fore rules were formulated in Eng
land to emphasize science" and elm
mate unnecessary brutality During
the last half of the century bare
knuckles have been forbidden in the
ring where the bloody cestus was
once allowed. and four ounce gloves
have been prescribed by the modern
sentiment for science sans savagery
which the ancients would have cali
ed mollycoddleism.
There are two sides to most ques-
tions. The question of whether or not
pugilism should be suppressed is not
the opinion OF many wholly re-
spectacle persons, an exception tot
the rule. 1t is insisted by ardent
advocates of boxing that when an
cient Greece was a model of culture
of plain living and high thinking
and when sculptors mad less difficult
ty in discovering perfect male f'gures
than they do in these sedentary days
Of physical unfitness, fistic contests
were not looked down upon, hit an
plauded and encouraged as improvers
of the breed of men. 1t is universal |
ly admitted that boxing as an exer-
else is entitled To high consideration |
from persons interested in physical |
development In addition to building |
muscle it developes mental alertness, |
staying qualities and self-reliance. |
The trained boxer is cooler In times |
of danger than the ill.deyeloped in |
dividual He is less prone to Tbse his
temper than the non-athIetic individ- |
ual. He is usually lover of fair play |
and he prefers the settlement of per
sonal difficulties by fisticuffs rather
than with knives or pistols. 1t is ar
gued by advocates Of the soprt that
individual courage anu individual
physical competency mean national
courage and nationaT physical we'll
bsing And it is not unbelievable
that an army of boxers would be a
good deal "scrappier" than an army
Of golfers, and that they would -ght
more vigorously and march as well as
an equal number OF pedestrians or
tennis players.
Prize fights are not uplifting ex-
cept when compared with bull fights
Or six day bicycle races. They are
perhaps more degrading to specta-
tors than automobile races in which
death rides at the elbow of the driyerI
and occasionally fakes the wheel
although they are Jess dangerous TO
contestants, Yet it Is, perhaps, bc
cause the healthy interest in amateur
boxing that is a bi-product Of profess
sionaI fighting is d positive benefit 10
young men, that pugilism has exis
ted for centuries uncounted. Il Is Ger.
tainly due TO widespread and by no
means unwholesome interest in the
manly art among millions of per
sons who never saw heavyweight {
championship fight that the press
has found it at once profitable and
defensible to make the compromise
that is reflected in elaborate reports
of the puligistic events and advocacy
of legislation to suppress finish
fights like that which is now in pre-
paration in Nevada.