Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-11-29
The Champion Brutality.

its glory and mud. To become high
kicker in this game is the controlling
ambition in every college and univer-
slty, from ocean to ocean, and from
the great lakes on our northern from
tier to the gull on the south, and
strange to relate every high school has
its team and apes its big brothers.
Theological Summaries and the Young
Mems Christian Associations are as
conspicuous in the swim as the most
ungodly college in the land.
The " season." professionally speak
ing, will last till after the holidays,
but the immortal achievements and
conquests of the sport, counted only
up to date, far outnumbcr in fatalities
and manning for life, the best efforts
OF the prize-ring in our own country
and the bull-fghts in Spain, Mexico
and Cub, combined. Three college
students have died from broken necks,
five have died lingering deaths from
being trampled upon, and more than
round score have left their colleges
and universities physically disabled for
life. Three of these unfortunates have
had an eve gouged out, two have had
an ear wrenched off, while the rank
and file Of the remainder are suffering
from fractured skulls, permanently in
jured spines, dislocated joints, flattensd
noses and broken limbs.
This is the gruesome report thus far,
with the hottest contests yet to come.
If these figures seem exaggerated to
the uninitiated laity, let it be borne in
mind that one authority puts the num-
Der Of football teams sustained by the
colleges and high schools in the United
States at fifteen hundred. This, OF
course, gives some idea of the number
of members engaged in the brutal
games, somewhere, every day in the
week, Sunday by no means excepted.
One death directly resulting from a
prize-fight, within the closing year has
been reported, and other casualties not
attended by fatal results has occurred
in many of the bull.fghts in the coun-
tries cited above.
Now if football playing is not the
champion brutality of the age, then
statistics are failure, or public taste
has degenerated into the vilest in
stincts OF savages. And yet, this mis-.
cradle misnomer for sport and health
full recreation is fostered and abetted
by the great educational and moral in
institutions Of our land and this in the
opening Of a century teeming with
promise OF human advancement
eclipsing the past history OF the world.
Hazing is brutal crime, but it is per.
petrated in secret and under cover Of
darkness, or closed walls. Football,
on the contrary, is a national amuse-
ment, proclaimed by faring posters
and paid press announcements; ex-
tensive and costly grounds are laid out
and maintained for its convenience !;
bands of music discourse inspiring
strains while the teams are rolling in
the mud and dust; reserved seats, pro.
tected from the elements, are sold at
high prices to the applaudiug lockers
on representing the elite society OF the
cities where the shows are held; spe-
cial policemen are detailed to preserve
order and prevent the young bloods
from fighting on imaginary misdeeds
or alleged violation of rules and regu-
lations. All these accessories are we'll
known to be part and parcel Of every
heightened metropolitan game, played
by tho representatives of our higher
colleges and State universities. A late
instance is afforded by the disgraceful
row between old Yale and Princeton
Theological Seminary.
The Juggernaut sacrifices of Hindoo
fanatics, tho bull fights of Spain, and
the snake dances of American savages
are legitimate institutions, rightly
considered, because they are in har.
monious keeping with the moral in
etincts of the people who ignorantly
celebrate them, but what shall be said
Of the modern football mania OF en-.
lightened society?