The Washington times., 1905-10-15


town University:
Two circular letters dated July II. 1905.
on the relations of the President and di-
rectors of Georgetown University TO
athletics over the signature of the Kew
Jerome Daugherty. S. j.. then president
of the university were published. ana
sent to the students and alumni OF
Georgetown during the summer.
These letters were written by the
undersigned the present president OF the
university: were submitted to the olrec-
tors of the university for revision ac-
cepted by them without change. ana
finally were deliberately approved ana
ordered to be printed by the then presi-
dent of the university.
Since that time they have been ap-
proved in regular faculty meeting oy
the faculties of Medicine and Law. and
! have received the general appreciation OF
the undergraduate student body
Students in Control.
The effect of these letters. which may
be called the Magma Charta OF
Georgetown athletics. has been 10 en-
trust to the student body of the uni
versity the direction and management
of athletic affairs. The students have
ITeSDOnQeQ
i'm them. They have elected their own
treasurer. had him properly bonded. and
have opened a bank account in one OF
our best local banks They have engaged
coaches for the crew and football team
They have put into the field football
team of bona fide students none of whom
receive any compensation. direct or IN
direct for their athletic services.
| II has been intimated to the presi-
dent by reliable informants, members
of the different faculties. that an I'M
| preston exists among some OF the
| alumni: and friends of the university
that the present administration Is op-
posed to athletics, and Is striving IN an
| indirect way to destroy athletics at
Georgetown, or to hinder their normal
| deveIopment, and the president has been
| urged by different members of the var
ious faculties to write an open letter
| to the alumni and friends of George
town explaining the reasons for the
present athletic policy. He will, there
| fore, endeavor to accede to this reason
J able request.
Favors Athletics.
| The present administration Is not op-
posed to athletics. but on the con-
trary Judges them, when properly con-
Quoted, a useful means in the moral and
| physical development of the students.
1t is not striving to destroy athletics
at Georgetown, or to hinder their nor
NAL development. but to encourage their
reasonable development along natural
lines. Accordingly IL insists that only
bona fide" students Of the university
shall take part in athletics; students
whose primary object in coming TO
Georgetown is to acquire its intellectual
training, and who only engage in ath-
letics with due subordination TO this
primary object.
This is the main reason of our pres
ent athletic. policy, TO keep athletics
for our own students as a powerful
means to relax their minds and bodies
and fit them for earnest mental work.
Only an intimate understanding OF
the dangers and evils which beset col
lege athletics can make clear how i'm
portant such a policy is. A most per-
nicious principle at the present time
guides and directs athletics in Ameri-
can institutions of learning.
1t is that detestable doctrixe, so often
falsely attributed to the moraIists OF
the Society of Jesus-''That the end
justifies the means" The end in queS-
tion is 10 be victorious in athletic con-
tests, and any means that lead TO this
end are 70 be adopted. In other words
that all is fair in athletics.
Shocking Conditions.
This is seen in it's most shocking form
, In the present system of playing foot
ball. The American college game Of
football is. when played strictly accord
ing 10 the rules, a strenuous and rough
ha
/ strains sustained. and the bodily STAN.
ina severely taxed. But in addition tc
this there is a system of football tao
, tics in vogue among some of our old
est and most influential universities
which can only excite horror and repro
baton among honorable gentlemen.
Some Of the Oldest and most respected
football coaches instruct their team.
to injure the most capable players OF
the opposing teams so that they canno
! | continue to play. This is fact wei
known TO the inner circle of football
4 coaches and players and can easily b'
s substantiated by giving names, dates
: and places.
Some instances which have come Il
the writer's personal knowledge from
2 trustworthy eye witnesses may be add
ed Before a certain game between tive
great universities, the head coach as
sembled his team and told them tha
: they could not win in the morrow,
game with certain man on their op
! ponent's team; he ordered that durinl
the first half no attempt should be mad,
| to score and every effort concentrated
on putting him out OF the game; wher
this was effected in :he first half. I,
score and win in the second half. Orders
/, were given that when anyone fell oI
, his man he was 10 fall on his head
This plan was carried out the mex
. day: the man in question was carrie,
from the field delirious in the first half
: and his brutal assailants won the gam
ir the second half.
Dirty Coaching.
In another case a member Of a prom
inent team was told by a friend tina
, he was to be ruptureG in the futur
game, and that a particular man hat
been told off 10 do the rupturing Thi