The San Francisco call., 1897-01-03
ARE BU TIES men
ALONE OFFENDERS?
Comments on the Status of
Local Amateur Ath-
leteS.
Why Humphrey Has Declared
the Montana Players
Professionals.
They Vainly offered to Play Two
More Charity Games to Be
Reinstated.

The Butte Olympic football game on
New Years day, with its questions and
disputes over professionalism, has given
rise to serious discussion of amateurism
and the status not only of the Butte play
ers but of some nearer San Francisco.
On the occasion of the game President
w. f. Humphrey of the Pacific division of
the American Amateur Athletic Union
notified the Butte team that in deliber-
ately appearing on the field ready to play
with two men whom the union alleges to
be professionals it gave evidence of disre-
gard TO strict amateur rules amounting to
professional intent.
He had advised the team to go into the
game without those two men, but Butte,
inviting protest that would nulllfy the
game as match, lined up. expecting that
olympic would afterward consent to an
exhibition charity game in which the eth-
letie standing of the participants cuts no
figure. Then Butte would enter its regu-
lar team in its full strength.
Humphrey thereupon declared all the
Butte men in the lineup professional
athletes. Then the so-called exhibition
practice game was played in sucn friendly
rivalry and gentleness that five men had
to quit the field, and time had repeatedly
to be allowed for others to recover suffi-
GENTLY to continue the furious contest.
The particular rules upon which Presi-
dent Humphrey based his decisions in oe-
claring the Butte players professionals
and in permitting the exhibition game
occur in a series OF recently adopted arti-
cles defining what constitutes an amateur.
The two clauses, literally and without the
general Introductory, are given below.
TIE first defining an amateur: says he is:
One who has never competed knowingly or
Intentionally with professionals or in COM
petition in winch professionals have COM
peted, or who mas never received from any
club of which ne has been a member remission
of his en- trance fee and annual dues, OR who,
for any cause whatever, has never had such
fee and cues RENTED, or has not been re-
quired to pay them.
The other clause, apart from its context
but self-explanatory, reads:
The prohibition of this article shall not be
construed to debar The teams of union base
ball and football clubs from playing profes-
sional teams, provided that no member OF
union club shall receive any share OF the gate
money or compensation under any guise what
soever for participating in any such game.
Such, in part, was Hum phrey's author
ity, and there can be no question that he
did his official duty and wodld have been
remiss had he tacltly ignored the earlier
action of the other branches of the union
that had declared the two Butte men pro-
fessionals, for professionals they would
have to be considered until properly rein
stated.
The gate receipts, amounting to between
$1,000 ard $500, are TO go to charity. To
what particular charity was not stipulated,
though since the game both the Examiner
and the Chronicle, it seems have offered
to assume the responsibility OF dlstribut-
ing and announcing their distribution of
the funds.
directly by the local representatives OF the
amateur union and 10 such charita BILE
organizations as they may at their meeting
next Friday evening decide to favor. II
Will probably be divided equally among
several of the more deserving institutions
OF this City.
Al present the gate receipts are In
charge OF q. ]. Bosworth. one of the Oym-
pic managers, but he is restrained by an
order issued yesterday by Humphrey of
the Amateur Union from disposing of any
part of them, except matter of about
$175 for rent and preparation of the
grounds for the games.
Yesterday forenoon Manager Mcmillan
of the Butte team called upon President
Humphrey and offered 10 play two
more matches with any team whatever
and absolutely for charity, if he would re-
call his ruling making all the Butte play
ers professionals, simply because they
had, uron the orders of their acting cap
tain, lined up with TWO avowedly dubious
amateurs in their team.
Humphrey did not see that any con-
ce ssion would alter the case. But Nc
MILAN was persistent. He had received a
telegram from Millionaire Clarke oil Butte,
president of the football club, advising
him to get another game in San Fran
cisco, so that the team might come home
to Montana victorious. Mem llan offered
to play Olympic another charity game,
but the manager refused.
Word came 10 Humphrey tha Reliance
would play Butte Tor charity, but the in
formation did not reach the Butte team,
which left this side of the bay in its
private car at 4 o'clock in the afternoon
and soon afterward was speeding north
ward from Oakland with the Oregon ex-
press.
Speaking yesterday OF his ruling Presi-
dent Humphrey said:
"Wh / explained the matter to the
Butte men before the game all seemed
satisfied but Benson, the acting captain.
They said: We can't ask, you TO let Las