Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-20
LEGISLATORS OF
OHIO Want BOUT
4 STOPPED
Political Factions Fight on
Resolution Giving Gov.
ernor Power to Pre-
vent the Mill.

NolulnOuS, w., june VI ne low
er house of the Ohio legislature this
afternoon adopted a resolution ask
ing Governor Cox to stop the Will
lard-Dempsey heavyweight cham
pionship prize fight to be held at
Toledo, July a.
Governor Cox is i'll at his home
near Dayton and could not be
reached for a statement on the res
olution adopted by the house. No
one at the executive office would
comment on the resolution. The
governor, it was said, is confined to
his bed.
With Gov Cox ill at his home
near Dayton, no official at the state
capitol would express himself au-
thoritatively as to the governors
probable action in response to the
resolution adopted today by the
lower house of the general assembly
requesting him to take steps to pre-
vent the Willard-Dempsey fight in
Toledo July 4. The general impress
sion, however, is that Gov. Cox will
not interfere.
Lieutenant Governor Brown stat
ed he had no legal authority to act.
The matter rests in the hands of
the governor, the lieutenant gov
ernor said.
AT the executive offices it was
stated the policy heretofore followed
would be pursued and that Gov. Cox
would have no statement to make
even though he were here.
Attorney General Price would
make no statement on the question
OF the governors authority to stop
the fight.
The resolution declares the fight
promoters have failed to obtain per
mission for the exhibition in ali of
North America, except Ohio and old
Mexico, and asks the governor to
follow precedents of former gov
ernors in upholding the fair name of
the state of Ohio, and to take prop
er steps to prevent the taking place
OF the proposed prize fight within
the confines of the state of Ohio"
The resolution also declares such
exhibitions as the proposed bout
are brutal in their nature and not
conducive to good morals"
The Dunn bill, which was defeated
in the lower house and the Pearson
resolution of today. divided the leg
islature along sharp political lines.
Democrat members declared the
purpose of both the bill and the res
olution was solely to bring political
embarrassment to Gov. Cox. This
accusation was denied by republi-
cans. A joint resolution that would
have required senate concurrence
was introduced first. This failed
on strict party vote. The resolu-
ton then was re-offered as a house
resolution and was adopted without
record vote.
While the postponed fight is said
to conform technically to the state
boxing laws, republican leaders de-
clare the governor could prevent the
fight if he so desired on the ground
that it is in reality to be champion
ship, prize fight held under the guise
of a boxing exhibition. Democratic
leaders are equally as strong in their
contention that the proposed ex-
hlbition is to be a boxing bout in
conformity with the state laws and
therefore, the governor is without
authority TO interfere. Ali agreed
that if it were a prize fight and ad-
vertised as such it would be barred
under state laws and it would be the
governors duty to prohibit it.
Toledo, June 19.-Jack Dempsey
will not be permitted to enter the
ring against Jess Willard here July
= with heavily tapped hands if Viii
lard can prevent it. The champion
announced tonight he intended to
request the Toledo boxing commits
sion and the referee to rule that he
and Dempsey go to the ringside
with nothing at all on their hands
and have the tape put on while in
their corners.