The Brutality of the Ring on Sunday

The recent prize-fight in this city serves only to demonstrate the wickedness and brutality of such exhibitions and the laxity of the law which makes them possible. Two degraded creatures, fighting to make holiday for others as well as for themselves, were the chief actors in an affray which began in contempt of law, violated every sense of humanity and decency, and resulted in shocking crimes. It is not sufficient to say that the evil traffic resulted only in a few injuries; the fact that such wretches are allowed to compete is a disgrace to the city. Every affair of this sort is a parade of horrors before the public. To the young, especially boys who take interest in whatever is strange and are not sufficiently mature to discriminate between things interesting and horrible, the effect is very bad. The law prohibiting these performances is founded in proper regard for decency and for public morality, and it is approved by every citizen of right sensibilities. It has fallen into disregard not because it lacks wisdom, but through the agency and connivance of officials. For several years we had a chief of police connected with the criminal class, and for two years past we have had a sheriff utterly unfit for the work of enforcing laws related to public morality. We have now men whose associations and sympathies are on the right side. To these men, namely, Sheriff McGraw and Chief of Mitchell, this community looks for better administration of the laws.