The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-27

'From the recent clarion call of your brethren of the cloth in Birmingham, and from recent published statistics, it would seem that Birmingham has well merlted the unenviable sobriquet of bad Blrmlns- ham," said a reporter in an interview with the Rev. NJ. E. Kitrick, the pastor of St. Aloysius Catholic church Of Bes- semer. "What remedy would you pre- scribe, Father Kltrck, for this homieldal mania with which our district Is a1- 1icted?" uuerrled the scribe. well" said tho well known priest, right off hand, without hesitation, I should reply the pan acea is quite simple and as old as Moses' viz: a universal and constant practice of the Ten Commandments. This is made possible for Christians by their co-opera- ton with the religion of Christ, His sac raments and their efficaceous graees.' But" said the scribe, since not all men are Christians nor recipients of these sacraments-are not even convinced of the wisdom of the Chinese philosopher who said, There is nothing about which men should quarrel'-could you suggest, prescindng from religion, some natural virtue that will prevent men in this dis trct from committing homcide?'
 "Young man." said the priest I've can never prescind from religion, for that is a. bond that binds us to our Creator our first beginning and last end. It obligates us whether we will or not; we can no more get to heaven by purely natural vir- tues than we can lift ourselves by our own bootstraps. But since, in their rela- ton to the soul, the body and it's opera tions play such an intimate role in Gods wonderful and composite masterpiece called man. l would say that by care- fully training the body and its opera ton homicide would be reduced, even in our community, to a very rare occur rence.'
 How can this be done?" you ask. Easily. Teach boys and men to use only the weapons of defense with which the Creator equipped their bodies. Teach them the manly art of self defense, and in their battles of life they will not have to re- sort to the artificial and cowardly weap- ons-the knife and gun. To this end, were 1 even half as rich as MT. Carnegie l would establish all over the city and dis trict boxing schools on the plan of the Birmingham Athletic club, and would equip them with such intelligent instruct ors as Messrs. Miles and Nestor."
 Would you advocate public boxing ex- hlbitlons? ?" asks the interviewer. Not those of a brutal or professional nature, answered the priest. flor twas exhlbi- tions of this kind that brought into dis to ,t,
 sport" But amateur 'bouts?" "Yes, sir, MT. Reporter, you may quote me with a great big euphatic 'Yes'-especlally those conducted under Marquis of Queensbury rules and under the direct management of conservative club like we know the Birmingham Athletic Is. There should be no cash prizes nor betting tolerated My purpose would be not to mako scrap pers' of the rising generation but to in- spire by manly (and medaD competitions that confidence without which no man or boy Is properly equipped for the fight which St. Paul called the good fight If may seem rather strange, but for this good hght l don't know of any more wholesome training than boxing!'
 Do you know" continued the priest. you can learn more about mans char aeter in good fast three round glove contest than you could from three years of personal study and observation of tho same man! The game man will show no disposition to quit The coward will always be inclined to foul. The vlndic- tive man will reveal his true colors by hIs sinister smile or the way he attempts to