Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-01
B0XING;BAL is
KILLED BY VETO
OF GOv.LOWDEN
States Chief Executive CIasms
Measure as Presented to HiR
Was BmeOnstfEutiSmmA

Springfield, III, July Gov.
,IsOwden yesterday vetoed the Iii
nois boxing bill He said he did SO
because he believed the bill TO be
clearly unconstitutional The fea-
t1re that he objected to, he said,
was that relating to the powers of
the athletic commission that would
have been appointed by the gov
ernor if the bill had been permit
ted to go upon the statute books.
Furthermore, he said that the
legislature after passing the bill
had failed to make any appropria-
ton for the maintenance of the
commission and its agents. This
appropriation, ordinarily, would
have been incIuded in the omnibus
bill, inasmuch as the boxing bill
had passed through the legislature.
For some reason this was omitted.
The governor said that he couldn't
call an extra session of the legisla-
ture to attend to this duty.
Before he got into these constitu-
tional and other reasons, Governor
LoWden's message &C veto said that
he was disappointed in the bill and
that he construed it as more of
prize fighting bill than a boxing
b4A1 mat 10 WAGAG inc PAhh SO0
lobby said of it. Anyhow, the bill
is dead. Governor Lowden's veto
message, in part, follows:
81 return herewith without ap-
proVal senate bill No. 235, the same
being a bill for IAN act in relation
to athletic exhibitions" and for
reasons for my veto submit the
following:
81 favor boxing. I had hoped
that a bill would be presented to
me which would authorize boxing
as we have learned to know it at
the military environments during
the last two years.
There has been ample oppOr-
tanity for those who favor boxing
to prepare a bill which would ac-
compIish this. 1 had hoped that
this was done when, few days
ago, l came to an examination OF
this bill. The more / study the
bill the moro I confess my disap-
pointment in it So far as I can
see, it provides all the accessories
for a prize fight. save the decision
alone
Il know that there is a popular
demand for, boxing and sparring
matches at this time, and much
pressure has beenSbFought to bear
upon me to Egn the bill. am
persuaded. however, that while the
people of this -statesmAy favor box
ing, they do not favor prize fight
ing.
This bill -.creaEes commission
which it authorizes to license any
club, corporation or association TO
conduct a boxing or sparrtng
match 1t Is expressly stated:
That ther commission may in
its discretion, issue and at it's
discretion, revoke license to
conduct, hold or give boxing or
sparrfng matches, and exhfbi-
tons, to any club, corporation
or association
The commission is not even re-
quired tD~formuIate rules and regu-
lations, upon compliance with
which licenses will be granted It
is left absolutely to the commits
sion. at its own discretion, to re-
fuse or grant a license in any case.
Such a pEoViscion is a delegation
of legislative power which cannot
be given under the constitution and
which has been repeatedly held IN
constitutional by our supreme
court.
Under this act, the commission
would have the undoubted power
to grant to one person a license
and refuse a license to another
person under exactly similar cir
cumstances."