Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-28

[
of the first class. Now turn to the sec
ond, and what may be called the nor
NAL, function of the college, the func-
ton of turning out each year many
hundreds of men who shall possess the
trained intelligence, and especially the
character, that will enable them to
hold high the renown of this ancient
seat of learning by doing useful SER
vice for the nation. 1t is not my pur-
pose to discuss at length what should
! be done in Harvard to produce the
right spirit among the men who go out
of Harvard, but rather to speak Of
what this spirit should be nor shall
speak of the exceptions. the men to
whom college life is a disadvantage
Randolph, Of Roanoke, he of the
bltlng tongue, once remarked
of an opponent that lie re-
minded him of certain tracts OF land
which were almost worthless by ma
ture, and became entirely so by culti-
vation." OF course, If in any individ-
ual university training produces
| taste for refined idleness, distaste for
sustained effort. barren intellectual
arrogance, or a sense Of supercilious
aloofness from the world of real men
who do the worlds real work, then it
has harmed that Individual; but in
such case there remains the abiding
comfort that he would not have
amounted to much anyway. Neither a
college training nor anything else can
do much good to the man Of weak iber
or to the man with a twist in his NOR
al or intellectual makeup. But the
average undergraduate has enough
robustness of nature, enough capacity
for enthusiasm and aspiration to make
it worth while to turn to account the
stuff that is in him.
Luxury in University.
There, are, however, two points In
the undergraduate life of Harvard
about which l think we have right 4,
feel some little concern. One is the
growth Of luxury in the university.
do not know whether anything we can
say will have much effect on this
point, but just so far as the alumni
have weight hope to see that weight
felt in serious and sustained effort
| against the growing tendency to lux
ury, and in favor of all that makes
for democratic conditions One Of our
number, the one whom 1 think the rest
of us most delight to honor-Colonel
Higginson has given to our alma
| mater the Harvard Union, than which
no better gift, no gift meeting a more
vital need, could have been given to
| the university. It is neither possible
nor desirable to try to take away all
social differences from the student
life; but it is good thing to show
how unimportant these differences are
l 10 i. CO. q
real achievement, and compared also
to the bonds which should unite to-
Igether all the men who are in any
degree capable of such real achieve
1 ment; bonds, moreover. which should
also knit these capable men to their
brethren who need their help.
The Question Of Sports.
"The second point upon which
wish to speak Is the matter of sport
Now shall not be suspected of
tendency unduly to minimize the inn
portance of sport believe heartily
| in sport. believe in outdoor games.
and I do not mind in the least that
they are rough games or that those
who take part in them are OCCASION
ally injured. have no sympathy
whatever with the overwrought senti-
mentality which would keep a young
man in cotton wool, and have a
| hearty contempt for him if he counts
| a broken arm or collar bone as of SER
/ ious consequence when balanced
against the chance of showing that he
possesses hardihood, physical address
and courage. But when these injuries
are inflicted by others, either wanton-
/ ly or of set design, we are confronted
by the question, not of damage to one
mans body, but of damage to the oth-
er mans character. Brutality in play
1 ing a game should awaken the heart
+ lest and most plainly shown contempt
| for the player Of it; especially if this
brutality is coupled with a low cunning
in committing it without getting
caught by the umpire. l hope to see
both graduate and undergraduate opin-
! ion come to corn such man as one
guilty of base and dishonorable action,
who has no place in the regard OF gal
liant and upright men.
"It Isl a bad thing for any college
man to grow to regard sport as the
serious business of life. 1t is a bad
thing to permit sensationalism and
hysteria to shape the development OF
| orr sports And finally it is much
worse thing to permit college sport TO
become in any shape or way tainted
by professionalism, or by so much as
/ the slightest suspicion Of money max
ling; and this is especially true If the
professionalism is furtive, if the boy
or man violates the spirit of the rule
while striving to keep within the let
ter. Professional sport is all right
| in it's way. I am glad to say that
among my friends number profes-
| sional boxers and wrestlers, oarsmen,
and base ball men, whose regard
value. and whom in turn l regard as
thoroughly good citizens. But the col
lege undergraduate who. in furtive
fashion. becomes a semi -professlonal
is an unmitigated curse, and that not
alone to university life and to the
cause Of amateur sport; for the coll
/ lege graduate ought in after years to
take the lead in putting the business
morality of this country on a proper
plane. and he can not do it If In his
own college career his code of conduct
\ has been warped and twisted.
Fut think our effort should be
to minimize rather than to increase
| that kind of love OF athletics which
manifests itself, not in Joining in the
athletic sports, but in crov'ding by
| tens of thousands to see other people
| INDULGE in them. 1t is a far better
1 .,.- e., o,r ca1lagaS to have the