The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-12-01
THAT MONMOUTH FOOTBALL GAME.

We all know how the conquered at any
game try to find sixteen reasons whv
they did not win. Human nature and
particularly boy nature, is very unwill-
ing to own up, and say 'the other fellow
was too good for me; he outfought me in
science and strength all through; before
try him again must grow bit" And
yet we all know this is the manly and
brave course to take.
we synpathlze with the beaten ones.
and endeavor to believe in their tale of
woe But pity gives way to CONTEMPT
and contempt to disgust, when the beaten
fellows try to take from their conquerers,
hrst' the merits of the victory, by ,1nis-
representing the incidents of the contest
and, second, their characters as men nv
lnventing divers sorts of meannesses to
attribute to them. All this is bad enough
when 1t goes the rounds of college CAM
pus and students halls. How much
worse when the local papers are filled
with these appeals from the verdict of the
field to the decision of the public?
1t must be remembered also that foot
pall IS an almost unknown game in the
Pacific Northwest, so far as the general
pubic is concerned. Not one in fifty of
the readers of the West Side, or .the Dali
las Enterprise know what a goal, or
touchdown is; to say nothing of a rolling
wedge, or criss-cross. How easy then
to m1slead sentiment, especially in favor
OF the local favorites. And this is lust
what the Monmouth people have been
doing.
In one sense this local quarrel: as a
general rule it is wise to follow Napo-
Icons maxim, and "wash the dirty linen
at home" But this advice too our friends
OF the Normal school have neglected,
and have appealed to Ceasar by having
this stuff telegraghed to the Oreeonian.
as IT to cloud our boys good fame in the
state at large.
Now, our boys are too we'll known in
their home city to need whitewashinp at
the hands of their local papers. Charges
OF foul play, blackguardism, Y 4dishonest
play, and drunkenness would fail of one
atom of belief in this community, even if
they professed to be authenticated. Still
less, when the proof of the matter is all
the other way. 1t is no secret here that
President Bloss has Investigated these
tour charges with the result on which
every one here would have staked heavily
1t Is perhaps too much to expect of poor
human nature that our friends on the
other side should s'withdraw and apollo
g1ze." Of course they ought-and at
once
It's possibly good thing that bad
weather and sickness, and desire to let
as much as possible of this vaporing pass
off in air Il. e. wind) has caused the post
ponement of the return match between
the two elevens. Our advice would be to
let them meet again on some neutral
ground, where local storms of passion and
will not be felt. And let the
umpire and referee be nominated by the
neutral authority. Let us hope too that
referee will be secured who knows the
rules of the game, and the boundaries
separating the functions of umpire and
referee.
Another game Or two may possibly help
the Normals to better understanding of
the n1ceties of football, and a greater
willingness to take as well as give the
hard knocks and pushes allowed in every
college game. We trust that they NAV
also have come to truer appreciation of
the characters of gentlemen players in
this king of modern games.
NAT rAH,r,1 .