South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-22
BOXING AT MOOSE HALL AND AT
THE Y. NJ &

by striking at their roots rather than
cutting OF the branches. we suggest
that PRIEST Burr r. Augustine. Of the
board OF safety. make an informal
call on his next-door neighbor. Pres't
John =. Campbell of the \. NJ G. A.
and suggest that the latter institution
stop manufacturing timber for boxing
exhibitions-both sides Of the ropes.
We are neither convinced. nor not
convinced. as 10 whether or not Pres't
Campbell was among those who com
planned 10 Pres't Augustine about the
exhibition at the Moose home Thurs
day night. branding IL 2. prize-fight
and urging its discontinuauce. Within
Pres't Augustine's directions 10 Chief
Willard T. Kerr Of the police depart
ment. as the chief reports it, several
people complained 10 the president
OF the board Pres't Campbell may
have been one Of them or he may not
which is a secondary consideration.
since whoever the parties were they
were undoubtedly somewhat afflicted
with pharisaic minds-imagining that
nothing clean or wholesome. in the
line of sports or otherwise, can posi-
bly, happen under the present admin
istration, unless within the walls of a
few preferred institutions.
We say this without fear OF sue
cessful contradiction.-and the editor
in anticipation that the city admins
tration would probably go off half
cooked again. took the trouble, while
caring nothing for the sport 20 wit
ness the Moose hall affair at first
hand.-that nothing took place there
that savored any more OF a prize fight,
or a violation of the law, than what
happens every day at the Y NJ. G. A.
when any youngster or grOwn-up puts
on the boxing gloves with another.
II it is crime in one place it is in the
other and we recommend in the name
Of Applied Christianity that the Minis
teriaI association of South Bend and
Mishawaka cease holding its Monday
morning meetings at the Y. NJ. c. Al
until such "criminality," the
propagation Of such "crimlnality"
about the place. ceases. It is up
10 Pres't Augustine and Prest Camp
bell in their pharisaic endeavOr, to
see that the lid" is nailed down on
boxing at the Y. NJ. c. A. so that the
clergy need not feel the need Of seek
ing other quarters.
or course, il is "A comparatively
trivial affair 1t is just one Of those
little aggravators, like being kicked
by a tackass. that makes a man feel
uglier than if he had been killed by a
genuine Texas mule. We doubt If a
thousand people out of the sixty thou
sand in South Bend care a rap whether
another boxing exhibition is ever
held. or whether there was ever one
in the past. but we dare say that
ffty-nine out of the sixty thousand be-
ieve in fair play Athletics are but
the vermiform appendix of healtbftd
exercise anyhow. As Billy Muldoon
once said. "the reason professional
athletes die young is because they
ought 20. and Muldoon was something
of an athlete himself. The Y. NJ. G. A.
argument that boxing should be in
dulged only as an exercise. and to
cultivate modes of defense in case Of
physical attack, is rank nonsense un-
less the exercise is permitted 10 eXer-
else itself with effectiveness. and to
take on powers of resistance. other
wise foot-racjnE as a training serves
both purposes infinitely better. The
Y. NJ. c. A. athlete should be able TO
keep about two laps ahead of all as
sailants in a self-defense race and we
earnestly suggest that the association
take this change under serious con
sideration
we suppose the kind of boxing that
would satisfy Pres't Augustine and
his informants. especially If put or
outside the Y. NJ. G.. a. sym would
be of the sort resorted To by Ross
Lindsey, Of Fl. Wayne, in the Moose
hall bout. Perhaps he obtained his
training in some such institution.
Slapped on the cheek more or less
unkindly by Eddie Brady he was
wont 10 cover the offended part with
his -mitts." and once he was heard 10
whisper. wait a minute As a de-
Tense from physical attack. the man
who can Outrun his crippled mother,
has such "ninnyism" beaten all 20
smash. We say therefore the y. NJ.
c. a. should stop provoking our young
men. with an ounce of sand in them,
into wanting 10 indulge in a real box
ing bout. or into seeing a real one
for be II remem bered that great
many OF the criminals" at Moose
hall. either had y NJ G.. a cards in
their pockets. or had gotten their
'.touch-on" on boxing while carrying
cards that have since expired.
IL was "a clean. orderly crowd, and
the Moose are To be congratulated on
the precision with which they held the
exhibitions down TO boxing rules.
There was no excuse for the action
imposed upon the police; that is no
excuse except that there are Myself
and Gods" among other leaders and in
other races than the Germans.