Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-25


more brutal than Il IL. and this may be
q reason why tender-hearted lasses should
feel terribly wrought up II her dear
young man" or sweet auburn haired
chap happens 10 be In the conflict.
There Is no athletic sport that gives
better development OF the body, gives
better tone to the nerves, than foot
ball. And why should not a Jasper"
play, since he owes Il 10 God 10 care for
his physical development? Football, az
II Is played to-day. is by no means OF
such nature as TO prohibit preachers
from participating In It. On the other
hand. II exercises those powers which
preacher Of our times has need for.
We have too many eTeminate-minded
preachers now. Rather than contend for
truth, they will retire from the scene upon
plea OF peace" The fact of the
whole business is. they are scared out of
their wits when they have TO contend at
all for principle. The Gospel of the
sword has no place with them. II any
game makes man hold his ground for
all he Is worth 1t is football.
It's true that one gets hurt now and
then, but what is that TO a man? Sup
pose men would leave every business in
which people get hurt where would we
be? What exercise that is worth any
thing can we engage In and not have a
possible chance OF getting hurt? Isn't
that pretty plea for man to make?
Afraid he will get hurt The same ar
gument against football might be made
against ploughing potatoes. For, how
often do we hear Of men getting kicked
TO death, or the horse or mule running
away, and dragging them to death.
The old darky's maxim, IT'S daDgu's
TO fool wild a mule" is as good reason
not to work mules as the objection OF
not getting hurt is TO stop playing
football.
A football player wears his wounds as
badges Of honor They are like old SOL
diers. who, with pride, hold up a stub of
an arm or point TO a scar. and say. II
got that at Gettysburg" or Il got that
at Cold Harbor." They will look at a
SCARED nose or a broken finger with
delight. and say, II got that at Hampton"
or lin the Randolph-Macon game" or
wherever il was. And while football
players feel thus, girls can enter their
protests in vain.
Preachers can find more people to tell
them how and what to do than they can
find walking uprightly themselves. l
dor't care what social sin is punished by
a church. somebody who wants to en-
gage in it will find the preacher doing
something 'much worse. ms may NC
true in the case Of dancing and football
playing.
If a lady has a sweetheart and wants
him to be proud of her she must show
him that she considers him out OF the
nursery. and able 10 win his own spurs
What lady wishes to have as COM
panion timid man? Why. then, protest
against football, on the ground that he
may get hurt? A man that will be in
fluenced by such argument will leave his
wife to fight the conflict through, and
when all is over you will hear him shout,
ME and Betsy killed the bear"
We feel a great sympathy for young
Robinson. who is lying on his bed suffer
ing from wounds received in the game.
We feel for his mother, whose tender
care has helped more than anything else
10 bring him through, but we cannot
say stop because he was hurt; nor do we
consider that an argument.
"A JASPER"