Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-02
FACTS ESTABLISHED.

Ffrst-Class College Football Players
 Demanded Yale Catalogues of
 Thirty Years Ago and To-day-Com-
 position of a Yale Student.
 To tho Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Last week two more important facts were clearly established. The first fact is that the American public demands of American colleges the production of first class football players. The second fact is that Yale college, as usual, is above all other institutions the one institution to recognize and to satisfy the public de- mand. Now, there are undoubtedly all over the United States anxious fathers, nervous mothers and fdgetty aunts ap- prehensive that such paramount excellence in one department of college activity must be accompanied by corresponding de- ficiency in others A plain statement of facts will bring peace and reassurrence to these timid souls.
 If a Yale catalogue of thirty years ago, when modern football was unknown, be compared with one of to-day, it will be found that they substantially agree so far as the course of studies is concerned To-day's curriculum is larger, of course, and contains subjects which are not re- garded as essentials of education. But in all substantial particulars the curriculum | is the same. Greek, Latin, mathematics, l metaphysics and the sciences were then, | as they are now, the fundamental elements | of Yale's training. Yale's curriculum was
 so admirably constructed at the out set that no radical changes have been found necessary to meet popular | taste. The Yale man has infinite variety of manifestation, but every manifestation | is of the same Yale man. If Yale foot
 ball player could be dissected without dis
 comfort to his anatomy it would be found
 that wrapped about his articulations and
 muscles were ample folds of Greek and | Latin and that his veins and arteries were
 flowing with the subtle fluids of mathe-
 matics and the sciences His superiority | over his rivals is the result and the
 manifestation of the classical and scien-
 tifc elements which go to make him
 up. The Yale student of to-day is com
 posed of the same parts of which he was
 originally constructed, and all these parts
 properly proportioned are necessary to the perfection of any one of his manifestations
 The secret is in the proportion, and not in
 the parts. Deprive an end rusher of his
 Greek, he would no longer be spurred tc
 valor by the conviction that the mighty
 Mars, or the dauntless Ajax, had an eye
 on him. Mathematics are as necessary tc
 a center-rush as to 8 planet. Without
 them each would be wobbling about
 in cratic curves. The captain of the
 team without the example of J. Caesar
 constantly before him would get all mixed
 up with his signals and be an object oi
 pitiable ridicule. How could full-bacl
 punt if his doughty leg were not quiverinf | S,,11 0f fhn nf Tat, , parents be disturbed. All of Yale is in ever,
 member of the eleven. Let parents rathel rejoice at this sublime manifestation of the highest moral, intellectual and phys ical training the world has yet produced Let them also rejoice little more that a
 last game has been found for their son
 which can only be played by gentlemen
 and scholars. The amount of self-contro
 requisite to keep within rules can only b. exercised by young men of gentle birtl . | and scholastic training. There can be h. professional football players.
 Football may not be down in the cata
 logue as requisite, or even as an or
 tional; but it's there all the same. So ar good fellowship, courtious rivalry an l. considerate ambition. These and othe s virtues and their manifestations come ur
 der the unwritten laws of Yale. It is i = the combination and application of thes s unwritten laws that lies the secret c
 Yale's constant, ever recurring and varie !, victories. It is by means of these thf t Yale is never obliged to sacrifice on f. duce the specific thing ths has the call. How the innermost spring of the unwritten laws are manipulated ii r. of course, the great mystery, the gres
 central Yale secret which lies hidden witl
 in the innermost shrine of her most ha 's lowed fane; and which no writer shoul o give away. The facts are patent to all Il l. world. The world knows them and r
 joices in them. The secret is onl u known to the blessed few who hay n been consecrated to it's preservation n Years ago the country took pride in u ,s gift of gab; longed for gab; dotted on gal LII arranged her elements and prod uced fl
 the amusement and entertainment of u American people the finest line of gabbir al bores the world had enjoyed since u of time of Thersites. Some of these rema r. to this day, still out-gabbing all ou or siders.
 0- At another time the public was a t s- daft about scholarship and eruditio ,n Yale, recognizing the mild and passil IS lunacy, gave her forces the requisite twi ,, and shot out into the universe of letters
 l DTdC0 UT GWo ol Cl uoltc5 WuO bo 4ai Oe e. footed competitors that this particular ma Ils ufactory has stopped until the wor n. grows up to Yale standards. No matt
 what the future may demand, the demal ITS will be filled. The elements are prese ,r- and the secret of their mixing. Even 8 ,r- thetics and archaeology may have sht n, in future cons if future cons want the o' But the demands must be made in ma pm ner to dispel all doubts about the exs ms thing demanded. Football has reach .r the high water mark of over 4, ,000 vol
 registered in its favor. What 8 majori ne will be required to displace it!
 It Though the secret of Yale accommod ore ing policy may not be disclosed, 1t may ;r surmised. The best surmise to date that it is the natural result of 6 gove
 ment by Congregational olergymen res ,, ing in Connecticut. Parado1ical as it n
 appear, this surmise has points in my favor. One point is that no other collt be is governed in the same manner; ever xen been, or is ever likely to be. This is onl
 negative point, the result of deducti There are first-class and very strong p oes tive points which will probably surpl ich that inert and moribund body known inn "Young Yale" and open it's eyes to .-,, fact that it may have been barking up 70, wrong tree. It certainly has done noth soft but bark for the last twenty odd years, l L l- - $5x,x,