New-York tribune., 1889-12-21
A REPLY FROM PRINCETON
PROFESSOR w. NJ SLOANE ON THE FOOT
BALL CONTROVERSY.
POINTS AGAINST PRINCETON NOT WE'LL TAKEN
THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
EXPECTED TO ANSWER THE HARVARD
PAMPHLET IN

EXPECTED TO ANSWER THE HARVARD
PAMPHLET IN DETAIL.
Princeton, Dec. eo-Profcssor William NJ. Sloane has
written an open letter to Professor John William White
chairman Of the Committee the Regulation OF
Athleti, sports at Harvard University, in which he
says
1T was with some surprise that received last
evening long and formal communication, addressed by
your committee composed only IN part OF Harvard pro
fessOrs to the Princeton Committee Of the Faculty on
Outdoor sports and this morning in the New
York newspapers excerpts from that document which
appear to me misleading 10 its general character.
/ am unable at present to bring your official letter
before either Faculty Committee, the Graduate
Advisory Committee or the football managers. mas
much as we have entered on the Christmas recess
"The football controversy has not come before our
committee at all. We have had but one meeting this
fall upon other business and it is pleasant
to be relieved by the committee OF another
college, composed partly Of disnterested under
graduates of the duties of investigating" our own
Undergraduate athletic management. Moreover, the
functions Of our Faculty Committee to which 1t is ad
dressed are entirely different from those of your com
mittee which send it, being merely to see that the
students participating in outdoor sports do not, by
the arrangement of the dates and places for games,
unduly interfere with academic work. The examina-
tOn therefore, of charges against the athletic standing
personal character OF tnOsc VINO
collegiate contests does not fall within the limits Of
our duty, except in far determine whether
those representing Princeton in such contests are
actually members of the college in full standing 1t
has never undertaken to establish definition OF
what constitutes amateur athlete, but only to de-
fine what constitutes student.
The consideration therefore, of the charge made in
your document, must eventually be the
work of our Graduate Advisory Committee
tkn 4t,an ~
the same time in view Of the fact that Official
reply the part of any representing Princeton
can be made until after the winter vacation, take
the liberty call the attention Of the public TO which
YOU appeal by sending your communication to the
newspapers and TO simultaneously to certain facts
in the letter received by which not made clear
in the extracts printed this morning.
"In the copy Of your letter in my possession
page four-there is statement which implies that last
year man, and this year five men, were apparently
brought to Harvard merely 70 engage in athletic con-
tests and that you have therefore passed rules which
transmit enclosure 10 prevent the recurrence
Of what you consider an abuse. These rules, not
given in the papers this morning. you state shall go
into effect January l. 1890 but shall not be retro
active in the of dsqualfyng. by reason of past
acts, men who would be eligible under
the practice which at that time existed. In
exceptional cases the Committee the Regulation
disqualification incurred by acts performed before
entrance TO college. You state with perfect frank
that your protest against four Of the five men
referred to was efficient, and that one played thlS
year in the Yale and Princeton games but you make
mention of the retroactive character of the legis
lation introduced by Harvard at the ntercOllege Con
ventiOn at New York, November II, intended to
dsqualify of the Princeton team The natural
inference is that that legislation eXpost factO
and intended TO weaken Princet0ns eleven, duly con-
stuted according to the practice OF Yale Princeton
and Harvard in bygOne years. ] mention in passing
that George is teacher in academic branches in a
school five miles from Princeton, who follows the eX-
amples of other teachers IN os that school school
and other courses at Princeton while earning
honorable livelihood by their work in the schools
sional teacher of athletics. although he supcrvises
the schools outdoor sports and those only.
1t is gratifying TO know that Harvard does not
base its withdrawal from the league upon the charge
that Princeton players were paid and Irregular But
the unntentiOnal nsnuation conveyed in the words,
Experience seemed To show that Princeton perhaps
because of her smaller numbers, was more prone 10
these Objectionable practices than Yale or Harvard.
is unworthy OF the lofty aims OF Harvard IS based
tion to enable to rcpc the charge and 10 ask Tor
a suspension OF Judgment the part Of the public
until Graduate Advisory Committee and students
shall have time to expose It, DasclesSncs' N an APP
peal history. The course Of Princeton. both
student, and Faculty. in regard to the excellence Of
outdoor sports will show that her has been
her management. We are for reform where II Is
needed. and will be glad TO cooperate In the same
we have conducted the sports themselves But l
feel that j. the time to take the needed steps for
next year, and that retroactive, lmet and i'll con
sidcred aftOn IN the midst of the season. Ike that
of NOveinhc' A. in New-York. and the mass meeting
Of Harvard few days after the Princeton Harvard
match at Cambridge can only hinder the good cause