The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-03

WHO ARE OUR AMATEUR OARSMEN?
Nav YoRx. June 1. 1878.
To TIE EpIToR or rHE HERALD
The decisive In which Acssrs Walsh and
Lev,en the Nautilus Club have bssn debarred from
rowing At the Watkins regatta At suggests the
question, Who are our amateur oarsmenp These
deservedy respected gentlemen represent the OF
q number OF most prominent local oarsmen and
undoubtcd who will be subjscte to similar
treatment should they attempt TO compete in future n
any regatta which nny BE- held under the 20 called
national rules or within the reach OF the influence
Of the controlling party In the councils OF that organi
zationn
The Executive Committee Of the National Associa-
ton OF Amateur Oarsmen last year disqualified Mr..
Edward Smith, Of the Argonsutas. and also decrssd
that all who Should hereafter compete with
him would DO disqualified by 10 doing According 10
this ruling the crews OF tno Neptune, Nered, Daunt-
less and Columbia College Boat clubs, sne Nautilus
pair aud the members Of the Argonau.a crew who
rowed with Mr.. Smith all disqualified The action
taKen against Messrs- Walsh aud Lsvien shows un-
mistakably the Intention OF tho "Natonas' TO drive
every club of the water which disrcgards their
rulings. IL Is cvideLt therefore, that matters have
reached crisis which renders it necessary that
ures shall be speedily adopted toward protecting
and forever the vexcd question the status
OF those alleged TO have been unjusty disqualified by
The tho Columbia crew especially requires
prompt attention, tor the rulings Of Garhed's COM
kins VIII probably cause them serious trouble III
England, as the tenor OF the articles the London
exists among EnRnsh rowing only willing to
cmbarrass the Columbus Henley Dy raising ques-
tions as to their eligibility to enter.
Tho has pains 70 ascertain tho reasons
which induced many oarxmen 70 ignore she rulings
Of the National Association Of Amateur oarsmen,
F.rsl-rnal tho National Association is irrational"
only IN name; that IL represents less thdn ten per
cent OF Tho total number Of cuOs in the Unil cd
States and has no right toy assume jurisdiction over
the other ninety per cent, And thai consequently they
subject Its laws authority when 70 wing
in regattas conducted by ASSOCIATIONS clubs similar
IN organization To the National
Sccond-lhat the Executives Committee OF the Ma
liouaI Association OF Amateur Oarsaen Is delectyely
tuted; that Its business OF late years
enirey INTO tho hands OF The secretary ana a lew
others controlled ny nitn and mat this clique acting
undcr cover oil tho star chamber method Vi lcgis.
lason and by abuse Of The proxy" system OF Young
committee have studied TO gratiy the prejudices
private halreds OF themselves and per
tronds Father than advance The general interests OF
rowing, and that their uecrees anu rul ngs
sequentiy unworthy OF respect, and OF moral
weight
Edward Smith ny tho National Committee, his ac-
cusers were also his judges; that they had legal
evidence proving him " b. other than N amateur,
and had refused to recognize tho evidence presented
adavis duly attested by the Argonauta delegates
In reDutla or the accusations, that the decree
pronounciug his disqualification trary jus
tico aud the law OF evidences aud Is therefore void
and oil no effect.
That the whole question OF Smiths eligibility TO row
a amateur had boon previously entered jato ex-
haustively by the Centennial Regatta Commitiec, a
Douy superior in authority ia public opinion, TO any
yet convened In tins country aud that his status as
amateur was then DECIDED his favor despite
utmost cxortions OF the clique connected with the
National Association oil Amateur Oarsmen 10 have
him ruled out
These the principal reasons alleged in defence OF
those who have not, as they claim, ''Dowed the
TO Baal," and are believed TO 0e true IN whole IN
>part by ovory man VINO rowed IN the crews
I'm nll nm Nntt nnnla
II IT, tnen apparent that all this trouble originated
in contest between the Argonauta Boat Ciun and
Girhcds committee 10 tue standing Of Mr.. smith;
but III The progress OF the quarrel has involved SO
many other cubs that an authoritative decision
the justice injustice OF tho act OF
pronounced against smith IS now imperativeiy re-
CURED.
therefore propose that committee be convened,
consisting oil number OF gentlemen OF prominent po-
slticn IN social ami pubic iIie and patrons oil alh-
ietc sports, together with the executive boards Tor
specially appointed delegates thcrcirom) OF tho
eral associations OF rowing clubs this
city ana III Philadelphia, as foows:-
Mr.. Dexter Narrag tnsett boat Ciup late President
oil the National Association oil Amateur Oarsmen. Gen.
oral Shaer, Judge Gildcrslcev0, Commodore Fergu-
! son, Philadelphia; Coonei Lee Chamoeriain, Lau-
Boat Ciuu Troy; tho executive boards Of the
Harlem ana metropolitan Row ing associations and or
the Schuykli aud passaic rhat these gentle
/ mon shall organize at the earliest poss bic date
and, acting y. court OF appeal whose de-
Inc rs ns cSu Of
| Committee 10 place before them the evidence on
which Edward Smith was disqualified and snail also
4
the cslence IN rebutal presented ny their dccgatos
10 the Natonai Committee nrevoss 10 hts disa
cation, and upon tAe morris OF the evidence tuus
brought before them decide Sun It'll IS status
man. Ii the rung OF tho Nat onas be reversed the
occasion will cover the OF all the others con-
nected tncrcWth but II ~ shall be- sustained it vii
inen be necessary 10 take up the OF Mcssrs
Walsh anu Lcven ana to decide whether tho
OF disqualification pronounced against them IS
valid taking into consideration the facts that
they aid not. at any time knowingly row against a
professional, having always believed Smith 10
amateur; that when they rowcu against smith
In regatta conducted by an ASSOCIATION not con-
ncctod with aud ebtirey independent oil the National
ASSOCIATION; that sid regatta under
the "Nationul" rules. and that they not bound
recognzs the authority OF the died ssNationai''
association, II being only one oil number Of similar
associations oxls,Ing throughout the country. inc
aiec ison OF tho committee In these two viii
dispose OF tue whole matter.
/ thlnk there be but opinion the prac-
tcabty ana fairncsE VI TINS plin Tor decis,vcy
ting disputed questions SO vItaly important 10 our
amateurs, and aope IL viii DO adopted IL better
plan speedily found. believe that all the gen
tcmon named viii rcudcr this i'm portant with
pleasure II properly requested. VIII the cluos imme-
uiatey concerned take hold oil this matter at once,
will the friends OF Columbia SIT supinely qucs cent
upuer the impulation already cast III their teeth Wy
the English papers that their gallant ..dis-
alma mater IN the iurt Incoming Faces Henley
do not believe II. and look tor immediate action in
Their behalf WHAT have the Argonautas to TINS
proposonY Lat US near, also. IRON Mcssrs Garfield,
"Proxy" Co. FAIR PLAY