The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-07-21
TEDD DOES NOT
FAVOR FIGHTING
Abuses Creep in and Many Fights
Scandalous-Believes That There
Ought Never to Be Another
Prize Fight in United
States.
RICHMOND. Vas

RIG HMOND, VA Special. =
1 have always been fond OF boxing.
and have always believed in IL as a
vigorous, manly pastime. one OF those
pastimes which have a distinct moral
and physical value, because they en-
courage such essential virtues as cour-
age, hardihood, endurance and self
control. Until within a few years 1
used TO box q good deal myself and
when 1 was young several times took
part in contests of public or semi
public Enthusiastically, / am bound
TO say, with i'll success. 1 think box
ing is sport which should be en-
couraged among boys and young men
generally. have been glad to help
II so far as 1 could in the army and
navy, where, / believe, il has been an
excellent thing for the enlisted men
When I was Police Commissioner I
was much struck by a statement made
10 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, 1t had not only given
the vigorous young fellows who other
wise would join gangs legitimate
outlet for their activities, but had also
| markedly reduced the number of af-
trays in which the knife was used.
The spirit produced by the boxing had
told against knife-fghting, and dis
|
| Therefore, from every standpoint 1
believe in the encouragement of box
| ing as sport. Moreover, boxing as
a profession has its good side also.
| Among the men whose friendship and
regard 1 have really valued / could
name number Of professional box
| ers, including ring champions. The
| men to whom 1 refer 1 found square.
| decent men, who showed themselves
good citizens when their good citizen
ship was tested. I approved of the
| movement, which in this State at the
time that 1 was Police Commissioner.
| resulted in the enactment of a law
| permitting contests between profess
slonal boxers, under conditions which
| were meant to safeguard the sport
| against brutality and other evils which
| have everywhere resulted sooner or
later in the suppression Of the prize
| ring. l 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 were so scan
| dalous that when 1 was Governor
was obliged to advocate, and finally
| 10 secure, the repeal Of the law under
which the contests took place, feeling
| convinced, together with the great
| majority Of the citizens Of the State
that under il almost all that made
| prize fighing Objectionable and de-
moralizing had gradually been re-
vived.
Now this was my experience, the
| experience of a man who, so far from
| being prejudiced against boxing, was
| and is, warm advocate of il, and
who, at the outset. had not the slight
| est prejudice against professional box
| ing-that is, boxing for purses of
money-and who has numbered
among his friends many men who
| were professionals and had fought for
| money prizes. l am sure that what
| has happened in New York will hap
| pen in the nation at large, and that
prize fighting will be. as it ought TO
| be, stopped in every State of the
| Union. Since IL was stopped in New
| York the conditions surrounding the
ring have grown worse, and not bet
| ter. The money prizes fought for are
| enormous, and are a potent source OF
Generalization in themselves, while
| they are often so arranged as either
TO be q premium on crookedness or
| else TO reward nearly as amply the
man who fails as the man who sue
| ceeds. The betting and gambling upon
the result are thoroughly unhealthy,
and the moving picture part of the
| proceedings has introduced new
method of money-getting and OF de-
| moralization. In addition, the last
| contest provoked a very unfortunate
| display of race antagonism. sin
| cerely trust that public sentiment will
| be so aroused, and will make itself
| felt so effectively. as to guarantee that
| this is the last prize fight to take place
| in the United States; and il would be
an admirable thing if some method
| could be devised to stop the exhibit
| uon of the moving pictures taken
MISUNDERSTANDING Roosevelt. in July
| Outlook.