Arizona republican., 1912-08-04
Last Refuge of Fleeing Pugilist May Be Definite ly Closed to Him by Init ative Petitions and Office Seekers
NEWSPAPERS SLANT
 AT PUBLIC OPINION
Decline of Sport and Its Fall Into Disfavor Due to Gambling Influence and Corruptness Among the Fighters and Managers

Prize fighting in California is on it's last loggy legs Some fighters are not willing to admit it, but nearly all the mana gers and promoters are shaping their several courses to avoid the possible legislative squalls. Practically everybody connected with the game is of the opinion that California is soon to be placed among the mOllycOddle states. And what is more, few of them seem to care a holler. The newspapers are giving less and less space to the various do- ings of the fighters. Their vagaries have ceased to interest the copy hungry reporters. and instead of being treated like popular actresses with the press fighting for notices about their dogs. automobiles and general small doings, they find themselves barely 1 mentioned and then only when they really do something worth while. Even if the anti-prize fight peti- l tions fail to get action on the matter 1 of the abolition of the sport there are so many candidates for office who 1 have declared their intention of put 1 ting the kibosh on it at the first op- portunity. the promoters see little i chance for the game in the Golden state. The initiative may not work 1 out in this case. say the fight folk 1 but when every office seeker is oiing l up his little mallet, it is time to duck l from under, for there is certainly a colored objection in the peoples cord wood.
 | The papers that have always been ardent supporters of the game are said to be sizing up public opinion | in order to be in line for masterly retreat to the stand of the anti fight i party.
 1 Bureaus that furnish the east with l California items have been sending out as genuine news. notices of the growth of the anti-fight sentiment in 1 the last refuge of the much hunted pug. An example of the news that 1 has been sent out to papers all over the country that pays good money for every word of telegraphic reports. at tempts to show the way the wind of public feeling is blowing:
 Los Angeles, July 2O.-Even the best friends of prize fighting say that l the game is doomed in this state one of the few remaining stamping
 
 defense. To be sure. prize fighting was abolished by the last legislature. but boxing matches of limited num-
 Der of rounds not to exceed twenty were permitted
 NOW these are to be wiped out by 1 the next legislature. Candidates are
 bobbing up in all parts of the state who will run for the state legislature l xHitb nIIh if, boxing matches.'
 This fact is recognized as pointing
 the way of the wind. Jim Coffroth of San Francisco announced the other day that he was going to start a fight club here and the people for d time discussed nothing else.
 1 Tt will kill the game was the l universal cry, based on the belief that Tom McCarey was having all he could do to keep peace with the pub lie, and if there were two fight pro- motors bidding for fights and more fights the public would not stand for it.
 Letters are received by every mail in every newspaper office protesting against permitting fights. Many al- ready agree with Earl Rogers. the at torney who leaped into the ring after the unsatisfactory ending of the Wolgast- Rivers fight on the Fourth of July, and shouted: This is the end of the fight game in California Exit boxing, Governor Mcdonald of New Meiico has put the final go sleepy touch on the game in his own state,
 and the local pugs are hunting soft
 places to drop great many of them I eXiled, pass into Texas whence their