The Washington herald., 1919-06-25
Governor. cox
PUT ON GRILL
DR.. W. F. Crafts, of This
City, Denies Statement
OF Ohio Executive.

DR.. Wilbur F. Crafts yesterday re-
turned from campaigning in Ohio,
New Jersey and New York against
the desecration of Independence Day
by the Wiilard-Dempsey prize fight, %
as he puts It. He had found good citi-
zens in all these States ready to ask
Gov. Cox, of Ohio, through a resolu-
ton of Congress to be introduced to-
day, to stop the fight.
In letter sent yesterday to the
governor DR.. Crafts denies the three
main statements in Gov. Cox's state
ment Of June q! a. That 1t is a
boxing contest: (2) that the effort
to get the governor to intervene was
Of political origin; 90 that the gov
ernor lacks power to stop the tight
without special legislation. When
a Republican House OF Representa-
tives in Ohio asks the fight be Stop
ped. and a Democratic governor cr-
ries out the request. 1t would seem
to be about the most perfect case of
Iaon-partisan action and equal division
OF responsibility" says DR.. Crafts.
June "a. 1919.
Gov James NJ. Cox:
Dear Sir: l have before me a press
report of your statement of June n.
LOu dIc very HiuCn mistaken In two
fundamental points.
First you say: The propaganda
began under political auspices" 4,
would affeffct your duty not at all il
/ 1t were so begun as most public mat
ters are. but it is simply not true, as
/ am in position to know. People OF
all parties that stand for law anc
order and public welfare spontaneous.
ly turned to you as the chief execu.
tive to defend the nations holiday
against desecratiOn, and the youth
of our land against brutalization.
Second, you are very much in error
in talking of fight for the champion.
ship of the world, a fight at which
seats sell for from SO to $l0O each as
a boxing contest" Surely you car
not be fooled by that camoufiage. II
you say with set teeth that no prize
night will be allowed. taking the Ohio
Supreme Court definition that II is a
prize fight where contestants hit tc
hurt, not merely for scientific points
there will bo no bout in Ohio.
Governors have often stopped
such contests with only the genera
power of a chief executive. You
have more backing than most OF
them in the vote of the State House
of Representatives / fail to see
how anything could be more un.
political than the stopping of a fight
requested by a Republican House
and accomplished by a Democratic
governor.
travel widely. and / know great
leaders of good citizenship in New
York State and New Jersey and
elsewhere as well as in Ohio look tr
you to protect our nations birthday
against desecration and dishonor
The Presbyterian and Baptist Home
Missionary Boards and the Y. NJ. c
a. are planning to bring suppor
from every State to a resolution in
Congress asking you to defend tnt
nations birthday against what viii
otherwise disgrace us to the ends o.
the earth.
1 have just conferred with Unite
States Railroad Administration anl
they assure me that they canno
and will not furnish extra trains
The result will be. soldiers anC
women and children in going of fol
July 4 standing up for miles be
cause the seats are filled will
bruisers and gamblers and harlot.
pouring into Ohio. 1t will he {
miracle II murders do not come ou
of 1t. and fear the nation will hole
you responsible.
Respectfully,
WILBUR +. CRAFTS.