New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-27
ATHIEIIES III WIHCARD.

n tho skeleton at the Harvard feast was
memory Of Ilaryards discontinue IN athletic
sports tho banq,ctcrs showed a true Egyptian
Indifference Ia their gloomy guest. Nevcrthe-
less tho influences Of it, prcscnc" was shown IN
some Of tho aftcr-dnncr speeches, which
added "a ll,tlr 10 our store OF reasons Tor liar
,ari> fnlur" We have heard much OF the
cncr,a,in. wealth and luxury of the Harvard
student, aud tn" man with tn" dog cart ms
been made Ia typif! the rais" ot Harvard ire
uuci,, defeats. Even proximity Ia Boston mas
been ST font, u, u reason for III" seeming TIC
,,I.uritl"n ol llarvardS Drawn bat "" ~" uh-
able 20 ir.aid boston ~ a Cap'a. Certain
un>,mpiihrir observers hay" found evidences
Of mental decline in boston susceptibility u"
Ih.cii,in aud other acu'" diseases. and even III
the performances of III" young literary SET
but Il d'murallLinc reaction ot boston MIN"
upon tamlridgc muscle !, hy no means proven
We have been told that Harvard - changing
from co>mupolilnism Ia proNlnriali~in' ana ina.
the proportion OF Students from Ncw-ln2land
j., inrra>Iu. much moro rapidly than at lal".
N,twc cannot think that New England MUSCLE
like the New -Lnglahd hill farm, Is no longer
regarded u, fit for Development
upon than Yale ar Princeton. and other things
being equal. She should win majority 81 attn
lctjc contests, II i clear that other things arc
no, cu,al. Onc trouble has been the unsettled
condition du" Ia processes of adjustment AZ
TEMPTED by the Faculty and graduates Al
most every year. for example. there has bc'h
some new ruling. either IN regard To Il trainer
far tho crew. or practice games with profess
.iopol bail mines or contests nj u distance. At
y.dc tho students engage in athletics without
c,u,tant supervision They have the benefit
Of tho bc>, al, leo from graduates like COOK
and Camp and they wise enough to proht
hy tho teachings Of these illustiious mentors.
I,ut it appears 10 the distant observer that the
Harvard athlete is continually under rc>tnc-
,ions and subject 10 intcrfcrcnccS which may
lac held partly responsible for seeming FAINT
hcartcnc>>, yarl,ti0ns in policy and final dc-
| feat.
The Official theory OF the university. accord
inc TO President Eliot's last report, is that the
number aud Intensity Of athletic competitions
| mus, be limited In other words. the Harvard
| Faculty proposes To resist the athletic " craze
| which has prevailed for tho last few years Ia
nrcscryc the purely amateur character Of college
| SHOTS anu tD Hh'ilu''ih H'N''''' '''t''''
| anrr President Eliot points ont that since ISM
the Harvard authorities have insisted that al
college sports should be- strictly amateur sports
| Inn, he declares that this &" fundamental prin-
| ciplc has not been accepted by the I'M
dcrcrad,iatcs or graduates OF Harvard OF
Of other colleges until the current
year. His application of the principle is thai
all practice should be at home and only with
other organizations within the same college
that in each sport there should he one two Oh
three intercollegiate contests the interest o.
which should not be lessened by any infero
competitions. that freshman intercollegiate con
tests should be discontinued that no SUDDEN
should be allowed to take part in such contests
for more than three years. that proper system
Of accounting should be established and all un
necessary expenses discountenanced, and tina
public bettipg at intercollegiate contests shoulc
be forcibly suppressed.
In many points the sober second thought o
parcns with IONS TO educate will approve Prcsi
dent EIiots theory OF college athletics. II il
true that these sports have assumed an undue
consequence within and without the colleges
and their intensity. for example. tho elaborate
and protracted preparation for boat races ant
ball matches, is inconsistent with tho appropri