Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-05-27
pharisaism in College Athletics.

Crtult OF the Mdllit cpII'6t9 'iiAN 49,
have never been led into this error,
ana yet facts which have come to our
attention from sources which We deem
reliable, confirm US in the opinion that
the college teams Of Maine are infinite
" freer from the taint Cf genuine pro-
feeeionalism than are the teams OF
larger New England institutions,
where the whole question is treated
IN 4 pharisaical spirit, ana no end OF
hair splitting INDUCED in, if a rival
may be- in any degree weakened there
by.
In Maine a player must be bona
fide student in good standing IN luis col
lege. II his skill as an athlete enables
him TO turn an honest dollar il the VA
cation period towards defraying the
expenses Of his education he is thought
none the less Of. much less is he de-
barred from participating in subse-
ouent intercollegiate contests. The
stand Of New England colleges outside
0f Maine practically amounts to 2
declaration that their athletic life is *
cmsiveIy reserved for the rich and Wcll
to DO. The poor 10y whose athletic
abilities are an asset upon which he is
obliged to bank in securing liberal
education is not allowed to avail HIM
self of vacation opportunities. There
fore if he attends one of the colleges
where professionalism" is an estah-
lished bugaboo it is. necessarily, in In"
secret pay Of the management. 1t is q
notorious fact that number Of tho
colleges which are most Jealous for the
upholding Of lofty amateur standards
are carrying men on their teams who
are receiving such secret financial as
distance.
1t is we say to the credit Of the
Maine colleges that their rules. If
eligibility DO not encourage hypocrisy
uf this character. The members Of the
various college teams are allowed 70
earn what they can by playing ON va
lious local ban teams during the Ions
summer vacation. non is the fact that
they are thus enabled to assist them
selves IN securing an education per-
.mittel to affect their standing in the
intercollegiate athletic life of our
State.
Just now Amherst College has felt
obliged to Withdraw from the college
baseball league of which it was mcm-
ber because its jealous rivals-in any
thing but spirit Of true sportsman
ship sought to weaken it by ruling out
Pitcher Kane on the ground Of profess
sionalism. Mr.. Kane is a Gardiner boy
who acquired his skill in the national
team Of that city. He Is boy who has
been 10 a larg" extent dependent upon
his own efforts in securing an cduca-
ton He is a fine type Of the amateur
bah player; the product of the rivalry
existing among the High schools of our
state. 1t is certainly n matter Of
amazcmeEt to the friends and ac-
quaintanccs Of this young man that he
had been declared ineligible to partici-
pate in the contests Of the league to
which is college belonged on the charge
Of being a professional! Astounding as
it may seem the leading college i'm pro-
curing this decision was Williams!
1t is TO be sure some years ago since
this institution bcpuiled one summer
Wilson the crack Bowdoin pitcher and
Clark the crack Brown catcher into
its baseball fold. thus enabling itself
to win the cl} mpionship of the league
which 1t uJU seeks to purify by de-
barring Pitcher Kane: but there IS 4
suspicion still abroad that there has
been little genuine reformation since
that time in the inner circle of its
athletic life. Out on such hypocrisy
There isn't 4 man today on the Will
liams team who is more genuine
amateur than Mr.. Kane.
What are the charges Namely that
Mr.. Kane pitched two games in the
Knox county league, an organization
composed largely of local town players:
and that he pitched a few games for
the local team at WaterviTe upon
which there We're several paid players.
For the two games played in the Knox
county league Mr.. Kane received
$4,000. which he subsequently returned:
for the games which he played at
Waterville. while he was engaged in
business pursuits in that city. he re-
oeived no remuneration whatever.
These facts are fully established by
testimony and yet Wesleyan and
Williams insist that their rival Am
herst must be deprived of Kane's SER
vices. Such action is indefensible. 1t
IS ungenerous ana unmanly. In view
OF it Amherst is amply justified in
with drawing from an ornaniza tjon