The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-11

President Eliot. of Harvard. have excited
vide and varied com ment President
Eliot does not propose to abolish college
athletics; that would be impossible. and
unwise and inexpedIens IL 1t we're possible.
President Lilo: frankly acknowledges the
benefit which the athletic development
has conferred on college communities. but
he insists that the present irrational aih.
ie.ic system shall b replaced by rational
athletics.
President Eliot does not be.isve in mere
spectacular athletics: he believes In the
healshfuiness Of exercise and the symmss-
ricai development OF the human body;
he believes in an athletic scholar, but he
has no use for . e. an whose love for ath-
lstic sports makes him graduate from COL
iege professional sport" rather than .
robust-minded scholar. President Eliot
perceives that mere spectacular athletics
are only one form Of professional
muscularity and demand consuming
sxaetions Of their participants which are
physically. mentally and morally injurious
to college life. President Eliot would
have athletic culture INDUCED in by all;
not by few under circumstances when few
are questionsb!y benefited and many IN
fortunately neglected. The percentage Of
students engaged in active athletics Is
small, and this makes farce to q degree,
since the mass Of the college world are
spectators cheering the few spectacular
performers.
At Yale college McClung. captain Of the
1891 football eleven. before he was grsdu-
ated recorded himself in the class book Of
1892 a. believing that athletics are carried
10 an excess here" He believed with
President Eliot, Of Harvard, that there
ought to be more athletics as ply steal edu-
cation and less mere "spectacnlar aih-
ietics." President Eliot begins his discus
sion Of the athletic problem a. follows:
From the college or university point of
view athletic sports are to be promoted
either as wholesome pleasures. which do
not interfere with work. or a. means Of
maintaining healthy and vigorous bodies
in servicexble condition for the intellectual
and moral life. With athletics considered
as an end in themselves. pursued either for
pecuniary profit or for popular applause, q
college or university has nothing TO do.
Neither Is IL an appropriate function for .
college or university TO provide periodical
entertainments during the term time for
multi,udes Of people who are not stu
dents"
This position 10 sound: President Eliot
simply seeks to make athletics a help to
health and enjoyment in college life with.
out interfering with s;udy and without
tempting young man to become .
sport" rather than . gentleman and a
scholar. The evils of spectacular college
athletics President Eliot describes a. fol-
lows:
"They interiors with. instead of clarity
ing and maintaining, mental activity;
they convert the student into a power
full animal and dun for the time his in
tei!ectual parts; they present the colleges
to the public. educated and uneducated,
as places of mere physical sport. and not
of intellectual training: they make familiar
to the student coarse publicity which
destroys his righttul privacy while in
training for intellectual service and sub
jects him TO insolcnt and vulgar comments
on his personal qualities: they induce in
masses OF spectators ~ interesting games
hysterical excitement which too many
Americans enjoy. but which is evidence,
no; Of physical strength aud depth of pas.
and they tend TO dwarf mental and moral
pre-eminenee by unduiy magniiying
physical powers"
President Eliot fuIher insists that the
rules of football should be so amended as
to diminish the number and the violence
of the collisions between the players
and % provide for the enforcement of the
rules.
President Eliot Is supported In this view
by the most eminent doctors OF the coun-
try. DIR. ]. Willinm White, Or. Horatio c.
Wood and DIR. ST. John Il. Roosa of New
York city. agree that football Is the best
all-'round college sport in existence, and
productive Of more good than harm. but
they would eliminate from the game the
feature OF the dying wedge" which is
chiefly responsible for football bsu;alities
Football as played in Scotland is entirely
free from the brutal features OF mass play,
aud flying wedges" TO which President
Eliot and the eminent medical men who
desire not TO abolish bat reform our game
50 strongly object The Scotch game II.
| rough. but requires considerable scientific
| skill Weight cuts very little gure. star
| player being one who can combine speed,
| agility aud strength. Some o. the best
| players IN EnglAnd are small rnsn or boy.
Who are exceedingly quick IN ge,tin :
around the bed. IL player loses his
temper snd attempts 20 use his fists. he Is
! punished by immediate disqaa.i6cAtia On.
A player who tips another up is also
ruled OF. and no substitute Is allowed TO
| replace him.
With the elimination OF The diving
wedge" medical men in America think
football the hes; Of all athletic sports. be-
cause IL brings all the muscles into play.
is rrse,ieed by q greater percentage OF
students than any other college sport. and
hes, Of all trains the meaial faculties %
| act quickly AZ the same time THAI 10 trains
the muscles Football is greatly superior
- rowing. baseball. cricket. tennis in It's
| capacity through its varied exercise so
awaken interest In the greatest number
| and bring IN 10 pay the mental faculties.
| Th,s IS the view 81 the London Tsacet and
I o. cur American medical men, With the
Z Qualification thai ''the dying wedge"
I shoGla S~ discarded a. 30 brutal and dan.
+ geToas a. 10 asigass an otherwise noble
/ and manly sport
pr. William A. Hammond. Of New York