New-York tribune., 1899-03-27
SOME ATHLETICS, AND OTHERS.

Amid the numerous incidents Of the last week
in the world of athletics two, occurring simui-
1aneousy in this land. demand at least passlns
notce partly because of the intrinsic character
of each and partly because OF the contrast pe-
, tween them
An intercollegiate gymnastic contest was held
on Friday night in the gymnasium OF NeW-l ork
University. About a score OF universities ana
colleges comprising the foremost institutions OF
+ learning i'm this part of the world. were repre-
sented. The contestants were the very flower OF
American young manhood-fine fellows, aliKe
admirable in brain and Drawn, as keen III intel
lectual as in athletic rivalry They competed
fl exercises well calculated TO test alike their
strength swlftness, dexterity. endurance, Juds-
ment and indeed every effective quality OF body
and of mind acting upon the body and ali
agreeable and instructive to witness. They were
observed by an assemblage OF thousand
men and women representative or all that ~
best in our best American civilization-n mind,
morals. social standing and business achleve-
ment. These watched the contest with Keen IN
tcrest and at the end came away with higher
estimate of manhood than before and with a
feeling that IN arranging such contest New
York University had done n thing worthy OF n
great university and worthy Of the metropolis or
the Western Hemisphere
on the same evening there was another ath-
lctic contest. in the city Of San Francisco, TO
which vastly more newspaper publicity has
been given than to the one we have just de-
scribed. There were two contestants, beetle
browed ruffanS, OF little intelligence and no
morals creatures with whom no self-respecting
man or woman could come into contact without
loathing, and to meet either of whom in lone
ly spot would cause any one instinctively to
feel socitous for the security Of his purse,
il not his life. They strOve for a time in
contest which called into play chiefly the most
brutal and savage qualities men possess, trying
lot much to show their own excellence as TO
iniure. MAIN and cripple each other. The spec
tacle was one which no right-minded person
could have witnessed without disgust. 1t was
observed by large crowd of men well repre-
sentative Of the ignorance. the crime, the vice
and the general degradation of which our civ
izatiOn has not yet been able to rid itself.
These looked upon it With sentiments Of utter
bcStiality and dispersed with the idea that per
hapS they had, after all, been bilked by the
rufiians or their managers in contest the re-
suit Of which had been prearranged, while every
man whose opinion is worth considering felt
when he heard Of it, that the affair had been
foul disgrace to the city and to ;he human race
We are not drawing a comparison between
NewYork and San Francisco. 1t was only by
chance that New.Y Ori had the one contest and
San Francisco the other New-Yorb has had
many a prizefight still worse than that of Fri
day night in San Francisco. Indeed. on that
very night this city had one only less notable
/ lccauSc the pummelling brutcS were less noto-
rious for their vlcneSS. But the comparison, or
rather the contrast between the two incidents
/ Is one that may well be taken 10 heart by all
| lovers OF athletic sports in New York and San
! Francisco and everywhere. Not every contest
| can be as admirable as that at New-York
! University Not every one can be as aboml-
nablc as that at San Francisco. But toward
which extreme shall the general tendency be ?
| That is a pertinent question, to he asked Of
and TO be answered by every participant in
and promoter and patron Of athletic sports.
And il is question not altogether impertlnent
TO the makers and executors Of the law.