The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-12
NOW IT IS FOOTBALL.
Colleges Preparing for the Battlers
on the GridirOn.
Burr Mcintosh Makes q Proposal of
Four Big Leagues.

The football season Of 1896 is rapidly ap-
preaching.
1t bids fair to be far more important In
It's beneficial effects than any of Its prede-
cessors While there is no open rupture,
several leading teams have bit OF trouble
up their sleeves, but 1t Is the general desire
to keep il there and not TO obtrude IL.
There Is not college or university in the
country really looking for trouble this fall
an observation which could hardly have
been made last year or the year before.
The cable Of welcome cent by the Har-
ward crew to the Yale crew upon the ar
rival of Yale in the Henley quarters rem
dered all further strife between the crim-
sons and the sons of Old Eli impossible.
Last fall Yale's captain wrote foolish
letter, insisting upon Harvards apologiz-
ing for the words of one man who spoke
his own sentiments and in no sense voiced
the feelings of his alma mater. Very
properly Harvard refused TO apologize.
Yale was made TO see her error, and it was
agreed between the leading alumni of New
York that all differences should be buried
and Yale should challenge Harvard Then
the gentleman who seems to own Harvard
athletics said that this would not be salts
factory. A written apology must be pro-
duced Being late in the season, Yale had
very properly gone out of the produce busi-
ness. And so these two leading institu-
tions were separated by quarrel.
But "a new and brighter era has dawned.
At present many believe that there will be
no game between Yale and Pennsylvania,
nor between Princeton and Pennsylvania.
1t Is sincerely hoped that those who believe
so are mistaken. Three years ago the game
that severed the ties between Yale and
Pennsylvania was unpardonably rough.
| There were men on the Pennsylvania team
that Yale had n right 10 object TO. The
| feeling during and after the game was very
bitter Yale was justified in severing her
connection with Pennsylvania. And so
was Princeton after the game two years
| ago. But since then things have changed.
| The faculty of Pennsylvania made radical
| changes In the rules which had beneficial
effect Pennsylvania stock went up sew
eral points. Pennsylvania now has the
| handsomest athletic grounds of all the col
| leges, and her different athletic branches
are excellently managed. Her football
team Is now nm eligible one, and it Is to be
hoped that Yale and Princeton will show
liberal spirit and meet the Quakers.
The best way 20 bring this all about Is
ward, Princeton and Pennsylvania meet In
| New York and agree upon the following
simple plan: To have ale-Princeton
and u Harvard Pennsylvania game on the
same day, the second Saturday before
! Thanksgiving, the winners of these two
games To play for the championship tho fol-
lowing Saturday.
But this will not settle tho championship
| of the country. Conditions have changed,
and tho American spirit Of fair play should
| permeate college football rs it has perme-
ated intercollegiate general athletics and
as II will pcrmeate intercollegiate rowing
next summer. For years, in hundreds OF
/ institutions, men have been working for
the advancement of the gnme. on In Cali
| fornia thoy have state league; down In
Texas they have state league many 9TH
er states have leagues. The best college
coaches in the country have been engaged
at tho institutions Of these states during
the last three years, and the number this
year will be even greater.
The question now is, Shall each Of these
teams have big prize 10 struggle for, or
must they be content with the titlo of
champion of tho state?" They should
have the opportunity to try for the cham
| pionship Of the United States. At first
this seems quite an impossibility. lt Is
| not an impossibility, but Is very simple
proposition. Divide all Of the colleges into
four leagues eastern, western, southern
and central The four Institutions, Yale
Harvard, Princeton and Pennsylvania, arc
not 10 compete, but the winner must meet