New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-21
IN THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
THE PRINCETON-HARvARD CONTEST
GOOD THAT NAY COME OF THE PRES
ENT MIDDLE.

The Princeton Harvard game seems to be prac-
,,cauv settled by this time and not only Prince
ton and Harvard men. but those Interested IN
football IN general should congratulate each
other that a meeting between Princeton ana
Harvard has at last been arranged. There was
at one time some trouble between the two col
,eres but that was not alone sufficient to keep
them apart six years. After the breach was once
opened II became an exceedingly difficult matter
for each college to make such arrangements mat
the two could decide mutually satisfactory
agreements to meet. Harvard. playing. as she
did Yale PENNSYLVANIA and Cornell. did not feel
that II was wise or right for her to add another
big game to her schedule. and even without cor
nell the question would have been doubtful one
II was and is not only difficult to arrange dates
SO that the eleven shall have long enough rests
between contests, but 1t Is extremely doubtful
whether IL is not to- much OF business ior coi-
lege men TO saddle themselves with heaVy
game each Saturday from the END OF Oc'ooer
until the beginning Of December. The attempt
made last year to bring Harvard ana princeton
together failed fer these reasons ana II Is only
this year that the failure of Harvard 10 meet
Yale has opened up the possibility OF the Prince
ton-Harvard game Princeton men seem to have
fully understood the situation, and accepted mar
wards nroposals in the proper spirit. Captain
Lea has been willing to make his proportion OF
the concessions and though November is WITH
out question too early date for such a game as
this one yet both captains and their ADVISERS
seem to have felt that here was an opportunity
for a return of the Princeton-Harvard annual
game that should be taken advantage Oh even
IL several inconvenience had to De undergone
by both parties. In fact all through this ar
rangement there seems to have been good deai
Of STRAIGHTFORWARD craftsmanship. which Is re-
freshing in the midst of the present intercol-
legiate athletic troubles.
These same athletic discussions that have been
so much before the public mind for the last six
months require word here. Football is a beauii-
full and manly sport, than which there Is no
finer: but football, as We'll as all other college
sports has certain line in college life beyond
which neither professors. presidents nor the gen
eral public in their serious moments wish the
players to go. And witho Vt question. when any
college athletic sport reaches point al when IL
is being discussed daily in newspapers as final
ity rather than an exercise OF college men-when
such charges and counter-charges exist as those
which have been flying about between faie anu
Harvard and Pennsylvania and Princetcn-the!i
the time has certainly come for SOBER men 10 can
q halt not in the games themselves. but in the
methods employed in practising them. 1heIe Is
nothing whatsoever the matter with the football
rules There laws in ,hc rules or tne game
which forbid ungentlemanly conduct OF all KINDS
and which dictate that any one employing ungeh-
tlemanly means and methods OF any kind shaii De
instantly disqualified. If the rules were once nom
estly carried out there could not possibly be any
roughness, except such as was instantly punished.
and If this continued. there would soon be no one
on the field to play. How absurd this HYPOTHESIS
is in the light of present occurrences is SHOWN oy
the fact that Harvard and Yale are still In DIS
pute over the conduct Of one man VINO played
nearly year ago a good game, one Of the best
s- -frer fhnn NJ
are no rules to govern it. not because umpires
lack courage but because the public mind. the
Intangible judgment Of those interested In the
game does not visit such unseemly tactics with
all the severity at its command. Such being the
case. IL is time that some one called hat IL the
game is to be saved, and mat matt mas now oeeh
called by Harvard. The question as to whether
Captain ThOrne-who b.! the way, is forced 70
carry a great deal of censure that ought to rest
on other shoulders--or Captain Brewer shouiu
write the first letter is small technicality. as
many people seem to think 1t involves the ques-
ton OF intercollegiate athletic spirit. The Har-
ward Athletic Committee. the Harvard faculty ana
the president of the University all realize that tne
publicity of the game is not only inJurlng the
sport itself but is injuring the two universities IN
the eyes OF the country. The consensus OF opinion
in the two faculties and in the presidents minds
Is in favor of athletics as a regular part OF uni
versity life but they have all felt II TO be fact
that the desire for victory added to the pos
sibility of making great deal OF money. mas leo
both college Arrangements into frame OF nina
which allows one to crticise the other through
daily papers. and the other to make university
matter of such criticisms. distinctly to the dis
credit Of both organizations. Harvard men want
to meet Yale men. Yale men as anxious to
meet Harvard men. and both faculties approve.
The best elements in both bodies. however. can
not fail to censure the history of the last year.
and one at least has seen the wisdom OF closing
the possibility Of a repetition until such time FOR
thought shall have passed as to give both calm.
cool view of the whole case and persuade both
that the physical exercise of friendly rivalry is
what is wanted and that the victory Is imma-
terial. This view Is sure 10 be the one accepted
by the really sportsmanlxe portion Of the public
at all interested in athletics.
The first game of importance Of the season Is
the Harvard Cornell game. October g. under
the Harvard Cornell Pennsylvania rules On No
vember Harvard and Princeton will meet under
a combination set oe rules On November
Princeton and Cornell meet, probably under the
same combination OF rules. Saturday, the 23d, is
the date of the Prnceton-Yale match and the
Harvard Pennsylvania game. On Thanksgiving
Day PENNSYLVANIA and Cornell play If Yale
succeeds in arranging a game or in persuadlnS
Pennsylvania TO challenge her, which would no
doubt be done If Pennsylvania could be sure OF
pm elght-oared race next June. their game would
no doubt be played November g. That con-
stitutes the football season. which promises In
many ways TO be UNIQUE one and on the whole
an extremely unsatisfactory one. unless II serves
as an interim between old football and new
era In the game for the future.
The Harvard eleven Is in peculiar situation
There is an abundance Of material back OF the
line most Of which has had some experience In
large and important games. There Is also some
good material in the line and several new men
who promise well for later IN the season. Left
guard and right tackle are hard places to fill
and the loss Of Waters is especially felt When
all is said about the forwards. however there Is
no question that material IS at hand The real
trouble this year is the weakness in the coach
ing system. At the moment no head coach is at
hand. and this in a measure upsets the system
of coaching from day to day. 50 that at time
when so much depends on the coaching 1t Is
distlnc, loss for Brewer to be without reason
ably large body of men to assist him in carry
ing on. his plan for the year. In other words
the Harvard team is reasonably strong on mate
rial and rather weak In coaching, and the sue
IL - will danaNQ