New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-08
FROWNS ON ATHLETICS.
PROFESSOR WILDER, OF CORNELL,
WOULD PROHIBIT INTERCOLLE-
GIATE CONTESTS FOOTBALL
ROUGH ANDs DIRTY"

ithaca, N Y. Feb. CSpeciaD.-A serious and
well organized attempt prohibit football and
other intercollegiate sports at Cornell made at
the last general faculty meeting held this week
After spirited discussion and more or less heated
argument e OF ehe faculty was taken. and IT
resulted in decided stand for athletics AS soon
as the import OF the meeting had been given out
the Athletic Committee announced that Percy d.
Haughton Harvard '9S who coached the Cornell
Varsity last season. had BEEN retained to coach
the 1900 m. Interesting information regarding
the games which Cornell wilI' pay next season was
also given out.
Professor Burt G. Wilder B. I'm. D., professor
of neurology, vertebrate zoology and physiology.
AZ the head Of the faculty faction which
favored suppression of all intercollegiate particpa-
ten. He introduced resolution providing that no
permission given students TO take part in inter-
collegiate games away from Ithaca, =and that the
associations engaged in intercollegiate athletic
work should be dsbanded. changed TO take
charge Of contests between Cornell students.
This resolution would have prevented athletic
competitions between Cornell and the representa-
tives any other college. 1t would have been the
death blow 10 football and baseball and would have
seriously injured rowing and track athletics. IT is
said that resolution prohibiting footballi even be-
tween Cornell students would have been introduced
had the other passed
AN UPHILL FIGHT.
Professor Wilder has been waging an uphill war
athletics of all kinds. and especially football.
since 1876. when the subject first attracted his
tention II IS his boast that he has witnessed
intercollegiate athletic contest contributed
cent for their maintenance voted TO permit alb
sences Of any team crew. He possesses great
deal Of influence in faculty affairs. ranking sixth in
the faculty list in the order OF seniority OF appoint
ment. He has spent a great deal OF time looking
into the athletic situation. and is Just much op
posed to football to-day as he was few years ago,
before the rules modified. Professor Wilder
says in discussing the question:
To-day the obvious college representative is the
witnessed by thousands at high price. Great
newspapers devote columns to contests which In
pass some pugilistic encounters and approximate
powder The pendulum has swung about far
It can go Brains nave given Place 10 Pra~n-
He draws distinction between intercollegiate and
intercollegiate sport being practically the
between recreation and distraction, lberaty and
extravagan emulation and hostility, zeal and
fsrocty. music and noise. enthusiasm and Mysteries.
hilarity and rowdyisni. moderation and excess
He says of football:
At its very best it is rough dirty and unbecoming
the gentleman and the scholar. IN the past Cor
Association Can they conceive Of Him S whom they
serve taking part game or witnessing t' e AS
with exciting and dstracting contests. and sets
in character. but high in cost If the law permitted
the establishment Of ar arena. would not bull
football matches?
HARM TO STUDENTS
Professor Wilder believes that in permitting con-
tests 10 take place away from college the faculty
harm any students not actively engaged in the con-
tests He considers the escorts who accompany the
teams in grave danger of falling into vicious temp
tations. well injuring their standing BY
being away from lectures.
He lays the whole blame university faculties
and considers the men who by their votes en-
courage athletics personally responsible He be
lieves that there very few professors who hay
withstood the temptation relax the rules or lowe
the standard in favor of students who were AT onc
pocr scholars and prominent athletes.
In the matter of training Professor Wilder ma,
De considered an authority, for physiology In n
various forms has been his life work He saws.
cannot regard the athlete in training &c
rather animal in o state of unstable a91,,,iI,t;S
WIN an his powers concentrated in one drectfnn
ilable TO collapse, and certainly una bile IN
ms condition permanently. ~ iH'aAi
Professor Wilder thinks the conditions az corno,
particularly favorable for the eradication n, ,n.o
collegiate football He believes that a pent1ar
healthier sport Will soon be found TO take frs nIsca
ana particularly recommends personal encounters I,
~ iOi IN OF wrestling He does not believe that thu
eradication Of football would cause a loss IN INV,
hers TO she university. In this regard he coz.
WISH there were way in which q trio
could DC made at my personal risk I can sirnni,
itltsrate the statement that the university TIA
Tor intercollegiate athletic contests NAV inn
lev nominal students, whose presence wof,Id he o.
psupIt III aoFantage. 1t will gain many more WIN
Hl.ose parehts-respect moral courage and :
cstioeI aaherence TO the ends for which edu
S@tiV'iai lns'ilutlons were established.
STRICTER RULES LIKELY
The student body is inwardIy retoic,ns Tho. ~
Wilder's ideas did not meet with the sunnor+ =,
The majority Of the faculty. In fact the rntnor,t,
is 80 small that those interested in CornelIs attn
Roar in Mid