The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-19
FOR GENTLEMEN ONLY.

me announcement Dy Bresi0ent told
smith, OF the Seattle Athletic Club, that
hereafter amateur athletics In this city
will be played by gentlemen only viii meet
with hearty approval. 1t does not follow
that an amateur Is always a gentleman
or that a professional Is not one. But 1t
is certain that the average professional
very quickly loses hts interest In the pride
OF athletics as his interest In the profits
increases. Social rank does not affect the
question: Lord Dunraven Is as little OF a
gentleman IN sporting matters IS any pro-
fessionai can be.
When men enter upon athletics as pro-
fession they become very much like attor-
neys, yielding up their own identity In the
Interest OF those who seek their services.
This can be done honorably. yet the speech
of an advocate does not carry with st the
force that an address delivered by one who
speaks from principle only would do. A
professional baseball player or football
player or billiardist upon whose success
men stake their money may be excused
for taking advantage OF every technlcality
In order to win: and. indeed. there is nc
reason why rules once adopted should not
be applied on the one hand and taken ad-
vantage OF on the other.
But In amateur sports there should be
a broader and more generous spirit. The
pleasure OF the competition should never
be marred by the greed OF the winning.
The remark OF Caspar ". Whitney. that
sport cannot be sport unless II is sport
for sports sake" will appeal TO every
true sportsman. IT may be very difficult
az times TO draw tho line between what Is
n fair concession and an unreasonable de-
mRnd, but IL the spirit OF honor is fos;ered
among athletes mistakes will seldom hap
pen. as the truly ehivalric gentleman
would be more unwilling TO demand any
thing not granted by rules thaa he would
be TO concede IL. Indeed. that Is the foun-
dalton OF sporting courtesy--not TO ask a
favor. but never 20 take a merely teoh-
meal advantage OF an accidental failure
on the part Of an opponent to comply with
the letter OF a rule. An illustration Of
this is TO found In the famous rowing con-
test between Cornell and the English crew.
When the former found that their com
pe,itors had not started their impulse was
10 turn back. and start over again.
Many of them have since expressed the
regret that they did not: but they were in
the hands OF professional officers OF the
course and neither starter nor umpire felt
Justified in waiving rules which all had
agreed 20 abide by. Nevertheless Ameri-
cans felt chagrined AT the mishap which
spoiled our pleasure in the event and
robbed victory Of its glory. All Americans
and most Engllshmen despise Dunraven:
they care nothing for the controversy.
HAD Dunraven been a gentleman he would
asvs eoffei his sailors cap 10 his vfctort
Gus competitor: eheered him for hts gall
liant EFFORTS, and challenged him for an
other trial Of skin. He would have been
the raost popular man where men love
sport fer sports sake. and the applause
for his manilness-which would have been
all HE cwn-wouid have been sweeter and
Srandsr by far than applause for the vic
tory Of a yacht which he neither designed.
constructed nor raced. and In which he had
an interest only hy the mere accident Of
money.
Victory may be secured sometimes at
700 great a cost. ard that cost Is always
zoo great when Il Is the price Of honor.
sport should develop Enanliness. not mere
brute strength. Il should stimulate that
courtesy which distinguished the knights
q the ehlvalrio ags. and not the mere
greed ~ winning. An honorable ana man
~ but defeated man always stands higher
in puesic esteem than the victor who has
won by questionable means.