New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-13
rnnTRALL REFORU.

Tho nurnose and result of the conference d.
the White House to which the RresluellC ia 1
the football advisers and coaches VI -.
urinoo+on and Yale have been briehy OUT S"u"
factoriIv SET forth in a signed statement ~ 80
university men who were present.
agreed they say that we conSluel 10 20 10
.t,onoroblo ohIiqotion exists to carry out III let
,,,I IN enirtt the rules of the game OF fcot-
or,ou relating TO roughness holding anu loui
.,1a, and +hc university coaches present
.n1o1ged themselves to so regard 1t ana 10 u"
choir utmost to carry out that obhgaLoH' ~
might he said that this agreement alnounl'N
= confession that heretofore those cohCei"eN
have not considered themselves pouhu 10 n
foroo +1,c ruIes and the spirit of honor IN lnler
colIeciate football contests; but such crluclsAi
would be cautious. Doubtless what tue du'lSoiS
and coaches mean Is that hereafter Iney WIN
o,,n1o1 their influence and authority more IN
sistentIy than they have ever done OeIore ~
eradicate false notions and evil practices WINCH
+boucb they NAV have been exaggerated. are
nevertheless acknowledged and deplorable-
There Is good reason to believe that they VIII
keen their promise In spirit and IN uuIn' IndI
+he academic communities which they represent
will sustain their efforts by an over"hellhiiis
weight of sentiment, and that the Fressuehl
Characteristic Intervention IN behalf OF fair con-
duct on the football field Will soon be 1ounu 10
have effected genuine reform.
We have alluded to the exaggeration when
has made dishonorabIe practices appear worse
Than they really were Perhaps the actual Oc-
c,1rrenres which have been profusely de-
scribad and discussed have not been much uls-
torted. but we are convinced that IN most cases
the charge of deliberate trickery and Orutahy
is unjust The things rightly complalned Oh are
usually done under the stress of intense excite
ment by men who for the moment are hatuJ
conscious of what they are doing. Ihat Is
palliation but it certainly is not enough 10 GU
tain pardon for these offences. Inc IeelIhs
among players and the discipline of training
ought TO be such as to forbid IN thought ana
prevent In action, through constant lntultlVe
recognition of the right and wrong Of the game.
the slightest violation of the rules and OF the
snirit which the rules are designed to exempllfy-
The agreement made at the conference with
the President apparently relates only to rough
ness. holding and foul play" but 1t is prooaOle
that the discussion touched on many other
points. We should be glad to know that IL enl-
braced the abuse of Observation-Disclosures II
not directly pecuniary in character-Wnich are
sometimes offered to the most promising play
ers of the preparatory schools for the sake OF
influencing their choice of a university. 1t
would be gratifying also to learn that there was
a frank admission of the evil consequences or
the excessively extravagant management which
has come into vogue, largely as the result Of
enormous gate receipts, and which more than
almost anything else is responsible for the abb
surdly false conception Of their true place in the
scheme Of university life that the members of
the team are encouraged to cherish. Some day,
we hope, the university authorities will compel
a rigorous reduction of expenditures for ath-
Ietic sports, perhaps by means of regulations
which will diminish the swollen 'evenues which
lead to extravaganza and waste, surrounding
with a profusion Of Injuries groups Of young
men most of whom must presently confront the
necessity of attempting to a modest living
amid fierce competition.