The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-03


meters being itft TO the discretion o. a.,
coticil. and the loyalty and rood ssnse ~
tnv students. These rules arc TRANSCRIBED
IRON the catalogue. as they should he sener-
l. No student shall represent the up,yers,,y
on any Of ita athletic teams who shall not
nave passed on the required work Al the last
.. students selected a. mempers or man.
ayers Of athletic teams shall not, IL they
negiect their work. be permitted to remain
.. No athletic team shall have among ia
members any but bona ndc studeufx ~ an
University of Texas. '"S
This purpose Of these rules 10 evident ON
, me las sass The faculty is determined that
cluae none but bona hde students. who do
satisfactory classroom work and can there
10 make up the time spent on trips and
IN contests. II is not often that any others
seek to take part. and the chief role Of the
rules Is to act as a healthy stimulant spur-
ring on the work OF the students with ath-
:, &c. "nol,ions But In the few cases where
nave been put In operation without fear OF
tsvor' teams having been compelled to face
ineir opponents without the aid OF their best
payers, because the later neglected their
work ana were not permitted 10 take mart
me STUDENTS are some times sore on such
o pea ,h but the young men are reasonable.
anu me better class realize that the sentiment
OF the State Will not aud should not tolerate
t presence on teams of bogus aud neglect
ful students. And student opinion ia begin
ming TO hnd Its remedy In placing the rcspon-
the cause OF tho misfortune in each case
Another interesting feature OF athletics Is
.ne training REQUIRED OF all who are candi-
dates for positions on the various teams. II is
generally known that candidates take mart
IN practices games, and, so far as possible
~ gymnasium exercises to develop their
sstrength but few probably know that prac-
lice and exercise only constitute the super
structure, which is unreliable II not WORTH
less unless II rests or firm foundation OF
ali-oround good health. Practice is very
It. The diet OF tho candidates is prescribed
by the coach or trainer and they are allowed
TO eat only hcalthfu food Their wind must
oe GOOD, and for that reason smoking can
not he indulged in Their nerves must be
steady and that forbds all dissipation and ir-
regular hours. Furthermore temperate aud
wholesome living In all these respects is not
matter OF college discipline. that. in the
eyes of mischief-lovng students It is fun to
eyade. The restriction Is based upon a vol
untary pledge, self-imposed No one is COM
PEELED to put himself under pledge to pass
by unwholesome food and to abstain from
smoking, drinking and other designations
But If any one chooses to take these pledges
he can take part in athletics. otherwise not.
Nor is the pledge looked upon as unreason-
able. The student who goes out of training
and lives irregularly has ample evidence. II
he is allowed to rejoin tho team, that he
has lost ground in strength and vigor. and
=
better trained candidates fer his place on the
team Besides the student body as a whole
IS coming to recognize the reasonableness of
the pledge. And this leads not only to pres
sure on weak -kneed athletes, but to growing
conviction that manly vigor, far from being
shown in dissipation. is impaired by dissi-
patton.
Training gives moral and hygenic lessons
Of the first Importance, and gives them In
manner and for purpose that makes them
sink deep into the minds OF all athletes by
IN faru nv hehf Ne Of ttt nj
VIII continue 10 be OF service long after col
lege days are over Anyone who Will recall!
the college activities Of fifteen or twenty years
ago will be fairly startled to remember the
large part that dissipation of all kinds played
among them. In all colleges are to be found
vigorous and active young men who must be
up to something. Eight hours of sleep. and
10 six hours unoccupied, and 1t is bound to be
filled in some way suitable to the tastes of
young men. part of the time can be filled
good amount Of work has peel done 1t is
neither possible nor proper that all the re-
mainder should be so spent The time was
when large share OF this leisure time was
IL any time in that manner, and the dlssipa-
ton OF other students has been SO much re-
duced that 1t no longer constitutes serious
problem The explanation is that the team
men are among the influential leaders OF stu
dent opinion. and their example has much
weight
Oue ulIuCulty COuITOHtS lew OLHeT COilt5tS as
seriously as It does the university. That 10
the difficulty of getting suitable teams to
play with, on account OF the distance OF other
colleges from Austin Playing with athletic
club teams has been tried. but with few ex-
ceptions, II is not satisfactory. 1t lis plain that
such games must be discontinued. That leaves
only the A. and NJ. college to be played in
the State. with n chance OF games with
Baylor later on II the encouraging beginning
made there this year fulills Its promise. And
while It is hoped to arrange two yearly games
between the two State institutions from now
on. football can not be kept going on two
games. The only alternative Is for our team
to go out of the State, and while this course
has been honestly criticised by friends OF the
university and others. the former should re.
member that the trips are made in the inter
est of clean, fair, gentlemanly games with
college teams. After relations have been es.
tablished and yearly games have been played
with institutions of high tone and principle
like Sewanee and Vanderbilt the people Of
Texas may rest assured that university sport
will be manly, honest and OF good repute.
There may be rougbness and occasional acci>
dents an ear may be wrenched and a littls
blood trickle down: tendon may be strained (;
n head may be stunned and ringing for day
or so: some bones may even be broken THESE
thj. are serious and there ia no desire TO
minimize them. But 1t is also serious fact
that all evils are comparative; better a
strained tendon than a strained principle; bet
ter ringing head than a Keeling head; bet
ter black eye than bleary eye; better
broken bone than broken life. AT least so
the faculty thinks In Its practical way Ana
the lawyers, farmers, editors. business men
and politicians OF Texas are said to be prac-
Teal Sidney T. Mezes.
Chairman Faculty Committee.