The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-08-04

"There Is a ray OF hope for Jim Newman Of
the Portsmouth Times. He has began TO moral
ize and makes fair stagger, considering how
sOrely he is afflicted with the 'mania;' he goes
for the Tribune pOnderously; puts McF. arm in
arm with Mackley, and has our humble self
prodding him on. He abandons the high-toned
idea Of travelling sweat cloths" nee proiesslonal
B. b. Clubs building up towns, adding to their
business, encouraging their industries, &C., &ci
and falls back on the mere game itself We
cannot quarrel with him on that point. He is
'eminently' right. For school boys and pro-
feSsional men of sedentary habits, the game Is
an elixir of life; and even for occasional past
time with men engaged In the active physiea!
exercise of every day life athletic sports should
not be despised. But when almost whole com
munity becomes so demOraliZed as to exhibit
lunacy, and u portion get to be regarded as
mOnomaniacs; when men, hitherto regarded
sound in mind, become easy victims OF bet
ting ring; when able-bodied men resolve them
selves into species of dice under the pay OF
apparent respectability, holding in their hands
the power of winning or losing as may subserYe
the Interests of the managers and their cappers,
does not faro or even three card monte begin
to don airs of respectability, honesty, and even
'1nordHtyW
I'Professional Base BALI is truly ennobllng (2).
1t fires ~ the patriotic (?) heart. 1t encourages
boys to go home early and go to bed just because
they are tired 1t encourages clerks of stores,
on small salaries to become Good Templars'
and members of the Young Mems Christian AS
socation (?).' In fact 1t would not be surprlsirg
to see, before long, one grand combination OF
cAmp-lneeJlnB christians ana 'DaSS-Dhl mar
tyTS' all occupying the same ground, and each
ambitions to catch the other out on n.y.
What q notoriety Is in store for Portsmouth
should the disease grow worse. Won't 1t be de-
lightful to readers of papers when the time shall
come that no more advertisements, no more
stale war news, no more politics, in short, no.
thing shall appear, but the doings OF our Ma
tional game?'
40, what sweet, soothing, ecstacy will lllumine
the radiant faces of the enthusiastic worshlppers
of the game, when they shall read in print that
the 'DiabollcaIs,' on which they had two to one
stalSed, had beaten the 'Infernals.'
"The millennium Is at hand, and baseball
will introduce it Mt Portsmouth just so soon as
the Rversdes can import three more profess
ionals to fill up their nine
"IIow the Republican, of that city could dare
TO get off the following is ascribable, no doubt,
to the charitable teachings the game as evlnc.
cd by professionals and initiated by second
rates with big pretentions:
"'The game of baseball Is fast getting to be
anything but popular diversion. Into II are
entering some Of the worst practices Of the
sporting world. II used to he, before the pro-
fessonal ball-player took 1t in hand an athletic
contest between men of sedentary habits, col
lege boys clerks printers, etc. 1t Is now a mere
matter of science, muscle and money. Great
amounts of money change hands in each con-
test and the young boys are giving themselves
up to gambling on 1t, with an abandon truly
alarming. ~ IrOntOn Journal