Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05
BOXING REFORMS
VERY UNPOPULAR
Work Against Instead of For
the Best Interests of
the Game.
JEFFRIES MAY BE GIVEN
ANOTHER TRY FOR TITLE
Many New slopes" Loom Up
on Pugilistic Horizon as
Championship Possibilities.
By James J. Corbett.

By James J. Corbett.
Say, boys, have you had your cars TO
the ground lately? If so, you may nave
heard something that will please the
sporting fraternity. Following the dem
ocratic landslide of last November AFFAIRS
in the sport line have been looking up
and this is especially true of boxing.
With the single exception of the state
of California. the new legislative pouieS
throughout the country have taken up
the work of trying TO undo lew OF Tue
great reforms that were inihcted upon
a long-sufferinS public during the last rev
wears of misguided and narrow-minded
rule The efforts of the self-constltuteo
reformers were apparently conhned 10
the attempt to deprive the red-blooded
citizens of their harmless amusements,
such as horse racing, Sunday base ball
and theaters and the manly art of hstl-
cuffs, until the people at last revolted and
EXPRESSED their extreme displeasure by
voting the morality regulators out of Of
flee.
Followers of boxing observe general
tendency among the new lawmakers to
give them a chance for occasional indui-
gence in their favorite pastime. and
will not be surprised If number OF
states take up the matter of legaliZlng
professional exhibitions. In Missouri
bill to permit duly organized clubs to con-
duct boxing shows has been introduced
and prospects for its passage are favor
able. Even the follower of the despised
, thoroughbred is taking heart. and at
tempts are to be made in number of To-
calities famous in turf history to intro
: duce legislation that will make it per-
pectly legal for a gentleman to place
modest wageIs on the chances of his IA
vorite nags.
| sincerely hope that the good work is
the fake performers are entirely out of
business. These fellows had things their
own way so long that they went too far
with the fool notions with the result
that the people rebelled. We may ex-
pect the more liberal batch of legislation
for the next few years.
Popular Verdict.
The winner of a boxing contest in New
York is decided by popular verdict. as
the law does not allow referees deci-
sion, and to a great extent friendship
for or interest in a boxer sways the
opinions of the critics. What little bet
ting there is on results is generally left
TO the newspaper verdicts the following
day-that is, where the go does not end
In knockout or is too one-sided to per-
init of argument.
~ Competent referee experiences little
trouble In deciding a victor on points,
but under the Gotham system there is
considerable difference of opinion as to
which Is entitled to verdict. Take, for
instance. the recent contests in which
Abe Attell figured with Joe Coster and
Benny Kline. A number of sporting
writer's gave the decisions in both in
stances against the featherweight cham
pion, while others awarded the victories
to Abe. This. of course, caused a great
deal of wrangling, and is far from being
satisfactory.
The club directors and others interested
in the sport should get together and try
to remedy this evil There should be
some method of getting around the tech
nicality which does not allow a decision
by referee at the ringside. and it seems
TO me that board of umpires composed
of men who know the game and the
rules thoroughly, and selected by repre-
sentatives and newspaper men, would
prove one way around the difficulty
When last in New York took in a num-
Der OF boxing shows where the bouts
went the ten-round limit. In most cases
10 my way OF thinking there was not the
slightest doubt of chance for argument as
TO which boys were entitled to the deci-
sions Yet TO my great surprise | found
the next day that the papers were about
evenly divided and as much credit given
10 the fellows who had all the worst of the
encounters as to the real winners Some
or the so-cailed experts are either awav
OF In judgment as to what constitutes a
cieaf victory or are purposely preju6iced