The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-03

For obvious reasons. political as we'll as
sporting circles i'm the E&pire State are
awaiting with eager anticipation the APP
pelrauce OF the Governor o. New York as
an eager candidate for wrestling honors.
According TO reliable authorites tho Hon
Theodore Roosevelt Will soon meet an
amateur adversary in the New York Ath-
letic Club. This announcer. eut dissipares
the mystery surrounding the recen, antics
OF the New York Executive. who has con
verJed the upper floor OF his official Icsi-
deuce az Albany into a gymnasium and
engaged a professional strong man 10 in
troduce him TO the intricacies Of the catch
ds-CatCI-can and other styles OF throwing
the other fellow down.
So far as displaying versatility is con-
cerned, Mr.. Roosevelt has been a peren-
NAL wonder. There are few men who
could write magazine articles. govern a
STATE. defy the crack Of the political ring
masters whip. and keep an athletic in
Structor busy without a ruinous sacrifice
Of sleep and nourishment Mr.. Roosevelt
reminds one -forcibly OF the musical gen
Jlemsn who used TO rig himself up with a
complicated mass Of levers and leather.
playing a bass and snare drum with enc
hand the cymbals with his elbow. and
blowing a cornet-although there is not
quite 50 much harmony
The Governor of New York is apparently
endowed with an irresistible ambition to
play many parts in the vaudeville of cur
r.r. ,e,;r- r-,f -v-... a.. r-s..s
coming concerned over his alarming YER
satlity. Those who have m5rveIed at his
large assortment of talents are wondering.
not without trepidation. what he vii! DO
next None has evidently possessed the
required amount Of audacity - STYLED
nerve In the parlgnce Of the thorough
fares-to aduonish th, Governor that the
propriey OF his latest ambition is TO be
questioned. Perhaps his eneryCsceut pug
uacitr has deferred these timorous satei-
lies from breathing the suggestion that
a wrestling bout is slightly incom-
padhle with the exalted dignity OF
the SUPERNATURAL Office. They doubtless
appreciate as well that Mr.. Roosevelts
prospective athletic diversion may De in
imical to his higher political aspirations
There was a time when uoue considered
81 undignEed TO squirm and tune and
struggle in the contests OF the amphithea
tire. Athletics were considered branch OF
art in ancient Greece. a candidate for the
Olympisn games must be examined as to his
birth. social position and moral character.
Plato, the exalted philosopher. appeared in
the Isthmian games at Corinth and the
pythian games at Sicyon. Even the sedats
Pythagoras gained prize for his power Of
muscle at Ellis and gave instruction In ath-
leJics The honor in which the Olympian
victor was held is historical The place of
his nativity was proud to acknowledge him
and statues were often reared 10 The cham
pion Of the arena. But times have changed.
The modern professional in all manner OF
has assisted measurably in the
The strong. vigorous. muscular combat
i've Individual is still admired for his
physical development and set manages 10
claim a considerable amount Of public adu-
latiou But the people have separated The
muscular from the mental nowadays and
they seldom elect a man to q position OF
responsibility or rear a rnonu-
nent to commemorate his pruwess simply
because he is handy witt his fists or aeat
of foot.
notwithstanding the amateur charac-
ter of the athletic event in which the ca
prieious Governor OF New York is seized
uIed to appear at an early date. it is hoand
TO De al least moderately offensive TO con-
ventional ideas of shat the chief official
cr great Commonwealth should do 10
maintain the profound dignity OF the sta
ZION with which he he's Oeen honored. Ir
d IS proper fer a Governor to disport him
SSH ga Geshings before even a select pub
lie i1 is not improper for a President to
match himself against some clever vupro-
fessfonal puncher Coz a go Of ten or
twenty rounds, Yet there arc Few who
vii defend the higher official if he be-
GENES sufficiently erratic 10 openly avow