New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-17

are disabled by something put lntO ther pio'n
or beer; even the innocent pedestrian, walking
against time, is made to swallow something
which goes direct to his muscular legs; while
ROSTERS and dogs, just before they come 10 the
scratch, grow suddenly feeble and incapable Oh
exertions corresponding to their great hearts.
Courtenay may, or may not nave oceh
thus physicked into ntimely mcapacity;
that is n point to be settled or 10 re-
main forever unsettled; but whatever be the
conclusion OF the lack of it, it is mortitying
that such felony. in connection with a COM
pctition which is supposed to be- modified by
the laws of honor, should be thought possible
or even probable. Unsophisticated people upon
the outside will say, with some show OF reason
that those who engage in such sports as pack-
ers and betters at least, must be, at any iate
some of them, Of the disreputable and untrnst-
worthy sort--else why should there be such
hints suspicious and innuendOes! Are we at
all out in suggesting that they come or the
demoralzing habit of betting, which seems 10
have increased with the growing interest III
lie snort, as the French call it, and with
increased numbers Of what are called
"sporting characters ~ People, too, VINO
never touch a card, and who would resent
any classification with " the fancy" DO hoI
hesitate to risk little money on race eitner
of bipeds or of auadrupeds They would SHRINK
from any unmanly or dishonOrable act, Dut LOT
the fine they associate upon terms OF equal
itv with sable-legged scamps, who might lot
tbe sake of winning put little arsenic INTO
the hest mans tea, or something of the kind
into the favorite horses grain. Every game
has its "welchers" They have almost ruined
the British horse-race as diversion for gem
tlemen There never was much that was nom
orable or useful in the prize-ring, but these
worthless have managed to rid it OF what little
there was of these qualities, and to make its
competitions as much like assassination or
manslaughter in some form as possible.
Ii has become serious question whether
we can have athletic sports of public
character without the unhealthy stimulus OF
the wager. Unquestionably their more recent
tendency is in that direction. what Is TO De
made by the accomplishment is now too fire.
quently regarded as of more importance than
the accomplishment itself; yet the finest games
which the world ever saw-Isthmian or Oym-
pic, Py thian or Nemean-were all played for
the palm of honor only. They are immortal
lied in Pindar but in all the lofty song
there is only the praise of truth, of yalor,
and of virtue. The prizes were no more
than simple wreaths-garands of the wild
olive, cut from the sacred grove, or palm
leaves, placed in the hands of the yictOrs-
sometimes the greater honor of statue.
These were the tokens Of a victory won for
its own sake. in contest of a semi-relgous
character. There is nothing perhaps in our
boating, or ball-playing to be compared with
these old games, but it can do us no harm
to borrow from them something of their dis
interested manliness. If would find war
rant for mere money making in our sports, we
must go to the coarse and bloody encounters
of the Roman holiday.
When the competition is only for the naked
honor of victory, we shall hear no more of
these suspicious of eXpedients which 1t seems
almost complimentary to call shameful. The
college boat races ought to have done great
deal to raise the standard of the public com
petitions, for they have been promoted and con-
tested by reputed scholars and gentlemen
There was an excellent opportunity, possibly 1t
might have been better improved.