The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-29
A Plea for Football.

The South Dakota papers are discussing
the possibility Of the legislature prohibit
ing football in the state institutions Of
learning. The many recent deaths in that
state and the serious injuries incurred
have so deeply stirred public, opinion
that such legislative action is by no means
improbable The Pierre State Register
says:
with all the bull fighting in Spain and
it's dependencies, not one-fourth the &C
cidents or deaths occur in hundred Of
the brutal exhibitions fostered and cher
ished in that bloody land as result from
the same number of American football
games. It is time to call a halt on this
crime. The legislature of this state has
prohibited bull and prize fighting, and they
are generally done away with"
c. E. Jordan, Of Sioux Falls, whose son
was killed this fall, has also written let
ter to the Sioux Falls Press in which he
says:
I'VE cannot expect all people to feel so
deeply over this matter we do. Harry
was one of two boys. He was young,
strong, vigorous. loving and ambitious.
Almost all his words after his injury ,eX-
pressed his ardent desire to- live.
my hope that the legislature will pro-
hibit this game that has broken our FAM
lily circle and saddened our hearts for
ever is not for our sake. We have lost
all we ever will by this game. 1t is for
Others-it is that no. other parents shall
have the light Of life dimmed and the idol
Of their ambition slain in a game where
unfairness is so commonly practiced, to
the injury and occasionally to the death
Of the players. So brutal was the ex-
hibition where my son received his fatal
injury, that three ladies tainted, am told,
and had to be taken to their homes. 9th
ers turned away in disgust.
'From the very first tussle and scramble
7 am told, our boys would caution any
one who was tackled to beware of being
fouled: When our boy was thrown, his
assailant fairly climbed upon him. He was
heard by several to say, guess put my
knees into his back a plenty" While my
boy was still unconscious, and bystanders
tell me with the look of death in his
face that q spinal injury always produces,
the umpire demanded in a gruff and i'm
perious tone that Harry be taken from
the field, finally asserting with the air
of a general: I'll just, give. you thirty
seconds to take this man off the field
If he had the intelligence Of horse doc
tor, he knew If he looked into that boy 8
face that he was severely II not fatally
injured. If he did not know this, it is
too clear for: proof that football had so
brutalized him that The was a filter man
for the superintendent of slaughter
mouse Indu 1Of d pace III al INSTITUTION
that is supposed to be in advance Of the
civilization that three thousand years of
letters has produced; IF he did not give
a close and careful scrutiny Of a stricken
antagonist In an unequal contest for the
plaudits of the public he proves by that
callousness that he has come. to regard
human life very lightly like the great
operators who look upon "a man merely as
a unit of SO much power whose place is
merely to be filed by another if he drop
out-that> much, no more. -,
"After the game not one Of the visit
ing team called at our house to- express a
regret or voice a word Of sympathy. On
the 2sth of September our dear boy was
laid to rest, but not one word had yet
been heard from Vermillion and not one
was heard until five days after, when a
letter came from the institution to my
son which accused some one Of cruel
| insinuations.''' f.$
Mr.. Jordan speaks at length Of the
position OF the president Of the South
Dakota state university who is sup
porter Of the game and who opposes it's
prohibition because he fears that stu-