Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-11
FIGHT IS DENOUNCED
Local CIergymen Regret Jef-
fries-Johnson Contest.
lAUD BAN ON PICTURES
Battle Declared to Have Been One
That Was Calculated to Arouse
Race Hatred.
LAUD BAN ON PICTURES

Many Washington clergymen denounced
the recent Reno prize fight in their SER
mons yesterday, and several Of them ap-
plauded the action Of the authorities in
barring the motion pictures Of the event
from the District. Several of the COL
ored clergyman, who dwelt on the fight
In their sermons inferentially. expressed
a feeling of satisfaction over Johnson
victory.
Rev. A. H. Thompson of Waugh Meth
odist Episcopal Church, in discussing the
fight. said:
The most brutal exhibition that can
be presented to the human mind is a
man fight. l do not mean mere boxing
exhibitions of skill; perhaps there is some
justification for this in the interests of
athletics. That may be legitimate sport;
but when you allow two men to stand
up and hammer one another until one is
knocked out you do nothing but appeal
to the brute instinct.
This battle was one to incite race
hatred. The fight went against the white
man and the colored man administered
sound drubbing. Instantly other white
TO beat them-the most idiotic perform
ance ever heard Of Maybe the whites
were drunk: maybe they had lost money
on the fight; maybe the colored man was
too jubflant. That does not excuse the
disgraceful condition of affairs
Commissioners Are Endorsed.
Rev. Zed H. Copp, speaking in Reth.
any Chapel, said that the prize fight re-
vealed the power and personality Ct the
devil, and brought out latent brutality
and barbarity in disgusting manner
He heartily Endorsed the action of the
Commissioners and of Maj. Sylvester IN
prohibiting the showing of the fight pic
lures here.
Rev. j. Milton Waldron, pastor OF
Shiloh Baptist Church. colOred, said that
the after results of the fight demOnstra-
ted beyond cavil that race prejudice was
still dominant passion among ma
Jority OF the residents of this country.
Continuing. he said
The victory Of Johnson over Jeffries
will result, eventually, in the suppression
Of prize fights in this country; not be-
cause the masses of Americans are op-
posed to pugilisn. but because they are
afraid other black men may prove them
selves the equal, and sometimes the
masters. of white men in the brutal art
OF fsticuffs Should this prophecy prove
true. We may well rejoice that the black
man whipped the white man at Reno.
Should Not Be Examples.
mastery over James j. Je1ries is no
proof that every negro is a Jack John
son, or every white man a Jim Jefrries,
and the thousands Of young negroes and
young white men, who have pugilistic
aspirations would do well to turn their
attention to some other means OF win
ming a livelihood and fame
81 would be worse than q hypocrite 1;
] should say that our people do not re.
joice at the thought OF a colored man
holding the championship Of the world
even IL IL IL In the sporting world" said
Rev g. Geriah Lamkins, pastor OF the
Tenth Street Baptist Church. coiored.
II wish To observe. however" he con-
tinued. that our true success as a race
does not depend upon prize hght VIC
tories. however exhilarstinE they may hs
for some people. We should prefer "a
he knovn a. n people of God. "a "a pray
ing people