The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-14

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= Events Of Past Few Years Have
Brought PaslIIsm, Into Dlsrepute
y and Expresses Hope That Reno
3 Battle 10 Last In This Country.
) Also Favors Suppression Of Moving
r Pictures Of Jef.Johnson Contest
4 New York, July i4.--Colonel Roose.
ts,t has written this piece for next
saturdays Outlook:
= Il have always been fond Of box.
3ils, and have always believed in It
HB vigorous, manly pastime, one OF
4hose pastimes which have a distinct
h.oral and physical value, because
t1ey encourage such essential virtues
IS courage, hardihood, endurance and
fsleeontrol. Until within few years
\ used to box good. deal myself. and
Akcn T was young several times took
sait in, contests Of public or semi.
4 lghe nature. generally, am bound
10 say. with III success. think box.
Ing is sport which should be en-.
&ouraged among boys and young men
Generally.
e when l was police commissioner
J was struck by a statement made to
be by Jacob Riis, to the effect that
the establishment of boxing clubs in
plGny of the poorer districts had re.
'sulted in good in rather unexpected
Hysys; that Is IL had not only given
ihe vigorous young fellows who 9th.
erWise would join gangs legiti'
hate outlet for their activities, but
ksd also markedly reduced the mum
Ger Of effrays in which the knife was
used. The spirit produced by the
boxing had told against knife fight
ing, and distinctly discouraged unfair
sblay.
y Therefore. from every standpoint
n believe In the encouragement OF
Boxing as sport Moreover, boxing
as profession has it's good side
also. Among the men whose friend.
ship and regard have really valued
could name a number of profes.
Sional boxers. including several ring
champions. The men to whom l re.
Ter found square, decent men, who
showed themselves good citizens
when, their good citizenship was test
led. l. approved Of the movement
(which, in this state at the time that
i was police commissioner, resulted
An the enactment Of law permitting
contests between professional boxers
ainder conditions which were meant
TO safeguard the sport against brutal.
iity and the other evils which have
everywhere 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,
two fights occurred where the sur.
rounding circumstances were so
scandalous that when | was governor
Twas obliged to advocate and finally
to secure the repeal of the law under
which the contests took place, feel.
ing convinced. together with the
great majority Of the citizens of the
state, that under II almost all that
made prizenghting Objectionable and
dsmoralizing had been gradually re.
vived.
cg''Now this was my experience-the
experience Of man who. so far from
being prejudiced against boxing was
uvxA q xs.av. aI. 80
who at the outset had pot the slight
eat prejudice against professional
boxing. that is. boxing for purses Of
smoney--and who has numbered
among his friends many men who
we're professionals and had fought
for money prizes. am sure that
what has happened In New York will
happen in the nation at large and
that prizehshting will be, as 1t ought
70 be. stopped In every state OF the
Onion. Since II was stopped IN New
York the conditions surrounding the
ring have grown worse. and not bC :.
ter. The money prizes fought for are
enormous, and a real source of de.
noralization In themselves, whine
they are often so arranged as either
to be premium on crookedness or
else to reward nearly as amply tho
man who falls AZ the man who sue.
eeeds. The betting and gambling
ppon the results are thoroughly un.
healthy and the moving picture part
Sf the proceedings has introduced I
new method Of mopey-getting and OF
4emoralization. In addition, the lalt
contest yoked very unfortuna' ,
display OF race sntagonism. SIR
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