The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-21
THE WEARING OF CLUB cOLORS.

10 the really virtuous American the
only colors worth wearing are the red.
whits and blue Of Old Glory. At least
this IL what we all think we ought ia
think. But what In point Of fact, we do
think Is n very different matter. OF late
years there has been a marked DISPOSE
tion among undergraduates and other
young men OF the land Co wear distinc'
tive colors. In the college towns, IN the
mountains, at the sea-shore--in fact,
wherever the youg man IL to be found,
the landscape Is made brighter by his
presence. And at nli our chief athletic con-
tests hundreds of people are to be seen be-
decked In the colors of institutions OF
learning. of which they have perhaps
never seen the outsides. On the day of
the va Princeton football game Fifth
avenue swarms with Yale cabmen and
Princeton cabmen. while tie haberdash-
ers on Broadway show desire TO serve
Mammon under the badge OF both insti-
tutions Far be it from ally man to de-
fend such vanities; but since they exist,
it bohooves us all TO make the best Of IL.
And the best of itsissthat, wbens properly
done. the wearing of coiors contributes
not little TO the success OF university
athletics, and perhaps gives our hum
drum latter-day souls n chance 10 bios
som forth into individual priue and 10y
atty.
The red of Harvard and the blue OF
Yale were adopted for the purpose of dis
inn nioh ne. mt
as the spectators in our UNDERGRADUATE
sports have always regarded themselves as
part of the game. they have taken to
wearing the co!ois to do for the eye what
college cheering does for the ear. Thus
from the outset there arose question as
TO proprletnrship in collegs colors. What
badges belong to the SPECTATORS, and what
TO the contestants? By tie sanction Of Gus
tor: the rank and file are allowed TO carry
their colors in ribbons and flowers, and 10
wave the initial that stands for their in
stitutionso on flags made of the appropriate
color. The right of wearing either the
color or the initial letter on an athletic
suit, blazer. or a cap belong, exclus-
lively TO mem Ders CT college teams. The
result Of giving atlletics this definite
badge OF distinction is to increase palpably
the desirability of prowess--as the badge
of the Loyal Legion increases the incen-
tive to soldierly conduct
TIE distinction thus created chafed the
democracy OF our American spirit. At
last, 1 remember very well an agitation
at Harvard in favor of adopting the red
and black blazer generally. TO be sure.
each class had its blazer, TO which oil
men had right; but it was thought un-
democratic that the varsity players
should have blazer Of their own. 60
the agitators began wearing the red and
black. The athletes uf course, stopped
wearing 1t; and in the ccurso of year,
wonderful To relate, the aeitators stopyei
TOO, SO that nobody wore the varsity
blazer.
A similar thing happened at Harvard
with the varsity sweater. The innumer-
able substitutes on the eleven wore the
crimson III. as did ALSO the thirty odd
men on the Mott Haven team. Then, if
l remem ber rightly, the cricket team took
il up; and, for all any ore snew. the
lacrosse team, { o hockey team, and even
the joint debaters wers in way to take
up with the emDl IN Of muscle ana wind.
At this the good sense Of the university
called halt; ana the athletic committee,
frankly acknowledging tho athletes right
To his particular vanity, ordained that
only such ana such mon were TO receivs
such and such insignia. Their value is
now so great that last autumn this eleven
was prevailed upon to abandon them us
an extreme concession to discipline.
The same solution of the difficulty had
been reached in the English universities
decades ago. There the Committee OF
Blues, " which is made up of the five
leading university captains. sends a par
ticular letter, printed In blue, to each par
ticular man, telling him that he. may
have his blue; and until the haber-
dashers ars apprised Of utis, blue Is
not To be bought at any price What is
more the COMMITTEES of Blues" awards
"half blues' to athletes of secondary i'm
pCr6ance: and the organization of third
rate, such "a the golf clup, shooting club,
and swimming club, does not get any
blue at ell. and is forced To invent colors
of its own. Few or no men are too
proud. and none are too humble. TO wear
ths best colors they have, so that at both
the universities you know blue as far
"a you can see him. What Is more he
knows TINT you know him, and perhaps
is human enough TO enjoy the fact. And
the "old blue seldom parts with his
colors. In Montreal and Shanghai Cal
cutta and Pretoria. he is apt TO get out
the dingy relic on all appropriate 90
casions and revive as best no may tire
glory of his Young manhood. There are
many. | know, who could give good
reasons for calling this childish ana alb
surd; but as we are all carried farther
and farther in tho involuntary race 10
become the oldest living graduate. ther o
will always be "a few, ut lenst, who are
glad to cherish the memory Of life Of
which nothing but the memory can re-
main. And among tho many things that
help 10 make the British sporting in
stinct strong and sound, this habit Of
wearing athletic colors Ia by no means
the least. IL stimulates ambition bv CIV
ing II tangible reward; and by giving
the athletic spirit definite means OF ex-
preston, it confirms the esprit dc corps