New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-30
TlOrEALL ANU FOLLY.

There has been considerable discussion in
public and private Of the hilarious dcmonN'ra-
lions which followed the football game hSt
Thursday. The game itself produced no breach
Of the peace and gave n offence except %
those who on principle condemn college sports
on such scale and amid such surroundings.
How many Of these there are il Is impossible
to tell. but that they are very numerous Is
unlikely. for if they were the college authorl-
ties. who arc sensitive 10 public opinion, would
bc pretty sure 10 know it and interfere more
earnestly and cTcctually with the athletic de-
yclopmcnt which they see around them.
But whatever may be thought Of the game,
nobody who cares about the good name of
college communities ard the good order OF
this city can fail t. rcgrc' and condemn the
practices in which many students indulge on
the night following the Thanksgiving Day
contest. 81 the Same time il would be we'll if
some critics were "A littlo mere careful u keep
within the facts. Tho subject was taken Mp
in several metropolitan pu'pits en- sunday with
more zeal than knowledge. Ii might be sup
ro>cd from clerical uttcranccs which have been
publicly reported. that the city was given over
last Thursday night 10 an orgy of drunken
ncss. lust and violence. and that an 0ycrwhelm-
ing majority of the visiting students instead
of a small fraction. violated the moral and stat
ute law. We drew attention several days ago
to the fact. which the police court records
strongly tend II confirm, that many Of the
Youths who put on ribbons and wave flags on
such occasions and mako themselves more or
less offensive were never connected with any
college Leaving these out OF consideration,
doubtless there is doplOrablc indulgence in
evil courses on the part Of students. but we
believe the number Of such transgrc>sOrs is
small Their ccnsors do not always make due
allowance for the natural cXhIaration which
follows n victory coveted long or the de-
sire of the vanquishcd to " hold up their cndr
after n defeat. Collegians are accustomed to
make vast deal of noise on the slightest
proyocation. and though we may condemn their
taste and deem them nuisance Mt times. it
il not necessary to assume that they arc drunk
because they take infinite pains to make them
selves conspicuous
Il remains to he said, however, that there
is no reason why great city should permit its
peace to be disturbed, and it's public resorts
surrendered T. bands Of bowling enthusiasts
once a year, even though the enthusiasm is
not to any great extent inspired by alcohol.
1t is true that in college towns public opinion
commonly tolerates such demonstrations be-
cause they arc accepted as n Fart of the life
Of the institution with which the life of the
town is inseparably associated. But this
license does not hold good elsewhere, and
especially in a great city like Ncw-York, and
it ought not to. BY the orders of their SUI
pcriors the police of Ncw-Yorl, have been cx-
ccssivcy amiable in the past, paying no at
tention, except in rare instances, to proceed
ngs which at any ether time they would GER
tanly prevent or stop without hesitation This
lcnicncy is doubtless wcl-intendcd, and for a
time perhaps was justified But if we are not
mistaken it has produced unfortunate results
and ought not to be repeated another year.