The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-21
SURPRISE AT HARVARD.
No Likelihood Of President
Eliot's Recommendations
Being Adopted.

BosToN, Feb. 81, 1S94-The fooling at
Cambridge in regard to President Eliot's re-
port on athletics is one of surprise rather
than CONSERVATION. In the first place, the
impression that football has been abolished
or that Harvard is henceforth to be gov
erned by the recommendations set forth in
the annual report is entirely incorrect. The
reforms are merely suggestions made to the
Board of Overseers by the President of the
University. 1t is entirely erroneous to sup
pose that they will be accepted.
Some years ago the President and Fellows
vested all power for the regulation of ath-
letics in a Committee ON the Regulation of
Athletic Sports" consisting OF Faculty mem
bers, graduates and undergraduates. While
this committee exists nothing can be done by
the Overseers in regard to athletics without
a radical breach of trust.
THE H SPORT
This committee is not in favor of all OF
President Eliot's reforms, consequently,
there is no immediate danger to sports on &C
count of the Presidents suggestions,
A concensus of the opinions of leading col
lege athletes is to the effect that there are
not more than two of the six recommends
lions of President Eliot which stand a rea-
sonable nance of being put into operation,
now or later, without modification. His first
suggestion, that there should be no Fresh
man Intercollegiate matches or races, would
not do what it is intended to do. 1t would
simply mean death to freshman sports, and
the extinction Of freshman teams as
training schools for Varsity players. This
recommendation is. however, a possibility,
and in fact may be made within a year,
namely, that no Freshman shall play on a
Varsity team. There is a strong student
feeling in favor of such a restriction, and it
is well thought of by the Athletic commit
tee. Obviously, however, no such %restrlc-
ton could fairly be forced upon Harvard
without the cooperation OF Yale. 1t Is not
a remote possibility that the two universities
will come to an agreement on this point,
keep up and even strengthen the custom OF
Freshmen intercollegiate contests, and leave
the Varsity teams to the three upper classes.
The second recommendation that no
games, intercollegiate or other, should be
played on any but college fields, belonging
to one of the competitors in college towns"
is reasonable, and is, as far as the students
are concerned. of little consequence. In
this respect they would willingly comply
with the presidents wishes; the only dill
Guilty is a practical one, thatof the accom-
mediation of the crowds. If the principle
can stand this test, all well and good.
TIE PROFESSIONAL STUDENT.
The policy of the Athletic Committee,
however, is strictly opposed at present to
| the third recommendation, 'that no profess
| sional student shall take part in any inter-
collegiate contests" The general tendency,
however, is in this direction, that is to say,
the new regulations reduce athletics to a
very great extent to an undergraduate
basis. 1t is only a question OF a
few years before all the professional
schools will require of a regular student a
Bachelors degree. This is what they are
striving for, and when that time arrives the
Athletic Committee will feel hat it can in
| Justice to all men of the University, limit
the eligibility of players to undergraduates.
As a present reform, however, it is quite I'M
necessary, for the evils of the old system
lave quite been done away with by the new
rules.
The fourth recommendation shat no
student should be q member of q university
team or crew in more than one sport within
the same year" is not opposed to a large part
Of student feeling. And yet, as in the case
of prohibiting freshmen from Varsity teams,
it would be a suicidal policy and one which
could not fairly be asked Of Harvard until
Yale shall agree to do the same. 1t is also
probable that a modification of this rule. al
lowing a man to be a member of the Mott
Haven and one other team, baseball, football.
or crew, would be insisted upon.
d FOOTBALL RULES.
The fifth recommendation in regard to
modifying the football rules TO provide for
less r~oughness or brutality, as some term it,
is quite in accord with public feeling and
offers hardly any chance of unfavorable
criticism.
The last suggestion, however, that stinter-
collegiate contests III any one sport should
| not place oftenei than every other year, "
is the one which seems the most impracti-
cable, and which casts the greatest prejudice
on the report as a whole,