New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-11
Anti-Boxing ASSemblage
Conspicuous by Absence
Scant Crowd Hears the
Obfuscations of Fiery
Reform Orators.
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

The perfect amateur IL the uplifter.
lie does not count the h.use before
going to work. No self-respecting boxer
would have pulled on a glove II con
fronted by such Il handful OF folk as
spotted Carnegie Hall last night at the
first meeting Of the Church Antl-Prize
Fight League.
People seemed 20 stay away from
that meeting in droves. There were
possibly four hundred persons IN the
house. Old ladies Of either sex pre-
dominated. There Was good deal OF
taking. State Senator Samuel 4. Jones.
the author of the bill TO repeal the
Frawley law, did most of il. The Sem
ator was not slow 20 explain the rea-
son for his opposition to prizehghting
Seemingly he took the action 10 cure
insomnia. He said:
"a fellow Senator asked me why !
had introduced the bill TO repeal the
State Athletic Commission. | replied:
Senator. il you would jus, once in
your life get behind some good cause.
some great cause. and battle for IT,.
when YOU came TO lie down in your bed
at night you would find a satisfaction
you have not known for years.
"As Cor me. ! would rather listen 20
the prayers. the pleedings. the yearn-
ings, the longings. the aspirations o.
millions Of good citizens. than TO stand
at the ringsidc where are gathered the
: thugs. the touGhs, the pickpockets. the
thieves and the backlegs, gathered
from between the two oceans and from
the Lakes TO the Gulf, as were gathered
at the Willard Moran fight at Madison
Square Garden"
Seate Senator Jones said that he had
once been OF the opinion that the ath
letic commission might ennoble box
ing, but that he had come around 20
the belief that boxing could no moro
be cnnobled than murder. As he eI-
pressed it,
when men 20 into the ring to fight
FOR money they 90 in 10 kill They go
~ with premeditated murder in their
hearts"
Later the State Senator explained
that he was not opposed TO boxing.
Now. II | should put on the gloves
with you" he said waving a forefnger
at an inofensivc old gentleman, mo
harm would be done. would it."
The inoffensive old gentleman made
no reply; but he looked dubious, and
hrs relief was apparent when the
speaker trailed off into considera-
ton OF agriculture. education. poetry
and the editorial efficiency Of William
Randolph Hearst.
The position Of those who oppose
boxing and other sports was mos
clearly stated by the Rev. r. L. Ru-
dolph, who said:
81 am opposed TO boxing because IL
exalts the physical man at the expense
of the spiritual and the intellectual
man"
Mr. Rudolph's statement was cd.
plauded vigorously by the other speak.
ers. and II seems TO Us that lovers %
snort cannot afford 10 abandon boxing
without weakening the position OF
other forms OF competitive athletics.
II ~ perfectly true that boxing does
cXalt the physical man at the expense
Of the spiritual an1 the intellectual
man. Tennis does the same things;
snd so do golf and baseball and hand
ball and hockey.
We believe that. in this country.
there Il great need for the exaltation
OF the physical man. and are glad TO
have the issue raised so clearly By a
member Of the opposition. The belief
that damnation turks in strength is
not yet dead. The body is still du.
bious thing in the minds Of not a few
members of this community.
Rabbi David De Sofa Pool. who spoke
against prizehghting. said that he re-
GREETED the fact that the Jewish race
had contributed a number OF notable
lighters 10 the ring. and yet there
seemed 10 Turk in his voice some emo
ton which was not quite sorrowful
when he mentioned the fact that zone
Dutch Sam. Jew, was the originator
OF the upper cut
Mrs. William Grant Brown pleaded
ignorance Of boxing. 81 won't 20 into
details" she said II don't know
enough about il. I'll leave it TO these
good ministers" The good ministers
seemed 10 be- embarrassed when
greeted as tight experts. But they did
thar bost