The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-06
GRAFT AS The BEAM
Prof. Conway Macmillan Intimates
That professionalism" Is Rel
atively a Mere Mote.
He Places the Honest Athlete sAbove
the So.Called "Pure
Amateur"

Professor Conway Macmillan OF the
state university is impelled by the charges
of graft in twin city intelescholastc attn
letics to take up the cudgels against the
amateur code of American colleges. Fro
fesssor Macmillan has long maintained
that the rules defining amateurs were
wrong both in principle and in practice,
and in this position he Is supported by
The Journal Discussing the
charges Of graft in the high schools.
Professor Macmillan said to-day:
I'm connection with the annual report OF
DR.. e. V. Robinson of ST. Paul, who has
called attention to a great evil in scholas-
tic athletics, am impened to say few
words. The evil is not always limited to
the high schools. 1t has been we'll known
that in some instances even college and
university athletics have not been free
from dishonesty and graft
"All right minded men will condemn
this sort Of thing. ~
Yet it must be remembered that I'M
perfect human nature Is prone to err and
honesty, among the young, is not neces-
sarily more universal than among the
financial management in municipalities
business and professions, so may there
also be dishonesty and manipulation in the
affairs of athletics in the schools.
In my opinion the bad ethics of anna
teurism is partly responsible for the SER
sport. In this view perhaps I shall have
few to support and many to criticize me,
but there are possibly not a large number
of men in Minnesota who, by reason Of
long experience and careful study Of the
conditions. are better qualified to speak
and perhaps it Is q duty to emphasize what
] believe to be right
ut is wrong to steal. to lie, to defraud,
to deceive. It is not wrong to take pay
for ones services. The boy who robs the
box office in an athletic association is
laying the foundation for life of vicious
ness and crime. The boy who pitches
good ball for country nine at SIS or SO
a game is perhaps earning money for the
support Of himself or his family.
There is a tremendous difference be-
tween the two. Most sensible men will
agree with me.
But what are the facts? The boys in
the high schools are led to believe that Sc
verest condemnation awaits only the pro-
fessonal.' is it true one is asked, have
you ever used your athletic skill for gain?
II you have, you can not play with U.s.
We are gentlemen amateurs. There is
no reform possible for you. You are with
out the pale. 1t is said that once you ran
race. There was SIS prize. You won
1t. Never again can you compete in games
in the schools or colleges. You are pro-
fessional. Go find your level with the
pugilists and the jockeys. We cannot toll
tolerate it In the future
What sort Of confusion does this neces-
sary produce in the mind of the young
athlete?
II can find nothing in the laws or in the
scriptures that justif1es this un-American
attitude. Upon former occasion pointed
out that it was an outgrowth Of the Eng
lish class system. 1t has no place in a de-
mocracy. An English university may be a
place for English gentlemen of leisure.
They may protect their class by whatever
restrictions they will That Is their af-
fair. But an American school or univer-
sity has no right to deny any man his OPP
portunity. If he has been a professional
athlete but enters a school as A bona
fde' student. ! hold that he has the same
right to it's social life and educational priv
ileges that any other man has. I firmly
sition and I shall maintain it in the face
of all the criticism Of the genuine anna
Tours
Athletics rightly administered are al
the very foundation of right education
Athletics wrongly administered are az
wrong as any other wrong thing.
The days of expensive hired coaches
big gate receipts, excessive expenditure
for training, must, in the nature of things
be transitory. A saner spirit must make
itself felt and believe 1t will. Meanwhile
why should not the men who are particu
larly interested IN the management of in
terscholastic athletics forget their mac
anxiety to toady to the opinion of thu
English gentleman amateur" and focu
their attention upon the development o
simple, American, manly sport, upon
simple. American basis of common hon
esty and progressive excellence?
"One way towards reform Is to wipe ou
the amateur code. Is not the honest mai
of more Importance to America than tn
pure amateur? Yet the boy who lies am
steals and deceives and defrauds may hol
his place upon the team. He may be for
given all that. The boy who has used hi
athlitic skill for gain can never be for
given. What sort of a wretched and snob
Dish ideal is that to hold before the young
Let us get down to first principles.