The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-12-05
A BRUTAL SPORT.
A Western Doctor Of Divinity Express
es His Views OF Football.


A Western Doctor Of Divinity Express
es His Views OF Football.
/ am writing from Philadelphia
on Thanksgiving eve. Services
have been held here in the vari-
Gus churches to-day, and a scanty
few have met to praise God for the
blessings of the year, while thous-
ands have paid for the privilege
of'witnessing football game on
the grounds of the University.
The game was between team of
Harvard University students and
a team of Pennsylvania University
students, and has been the all alb
sorbing topic of the day. The pa
pers have given a column day to
the approaching contest for a week
past, and the betting has been very
extensive. The Harvard team Is
scarcely rested from its game with
the Yale College team,i in which the
sport assumed such brutal aspects
that every one was shocked at 1t,
and the Yale authorities were al
most ready to inhibit their pupils
from any further games.
In that game, which lasted less
than two hours, twelve men were
so badly hurt as to be unable to
continue the game, while four were
seriously, and one or two probably
fatally Injured. Broken bones and
bloody noses were the order of the
day. The game ofto-day was proba-
bly, but little better. One of the
daily papers received a telephone
MESSAGES from the grounds, and
exhibited the game on a bulletin
board as it progressed. Two thous-
andj people, many of whom had
bet money on the game, stood be.
fore that bulletin board and block
ed the street during the whole sew
enty minutes that the gafne lasted.
Istopped in the crowd and watch.
ed the bulletin-board just ten min
utes by the watch. During those
ten minutes the wpld ahur" was
displayed four times. Whether the
player had received a broken nose,
q abroken coilgr-bone, or sprained
or dislocated. wristwe did not know
but he was hurt, and the half frenz-
jed crowd cared as little as the
are said to have done
who witnessed the barbarities of
the old Roman amphitheaters. But,
of course, it is all right, because it
is only game of college students.
All! but it is not all right. 1 have
heard the question asked fifty
times in the last three days, and
asked by sober, sensible men, how
much better is football playing than
prize-fghting? What objections,
from a moral standpoint, can you
urge against the one that does not
apply to the other except it be that
one is lawful and the other is not p
They both require previous training
and the more the better. They
both encourage betting, and, while
the wagers made on football are
not usually SO large as on prize
fighting, they are far more numsr-
ous; and among class of people
who perhaps never gambled before.
If the physical injuries received be
taken into account, the football
game would have far more to an
swer for when the balance is struck
for the year than the prize-fight.
The chief difference, then, lies in
the fact that one is Illegal brutality,
while the othe is brutality of which
the law takes no account. O, ye
Solons of our Christian Common
wealths, why do We frown SO darkly
upon the brutality Of the prize-ring
and look with such complacency
and approval on the brutality Of
the ball groundY Q, ye college
Presidents and college professors,
why are ye so blind to the wicked
ness Of this thing? Instead Of be-
ing leaders Of reform, are ye wait
ing for the: patrons and friends of
your several schools to demand that
you will put a stop to these abuses ?
This they will most surely do,- and
that right early, and then you will
feel the disgrace Of your tardiness
and neglect.-Er.