The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-13


do what he could 10 have It's worst fea-
lures removed; and only the habit,tnlly,
iocose will iind IN his action anything
to smile Mt
THE great majority ofii1telliBcnt Attterl-
can people, other thnne the pessi,ilstici
the dyspcptic and tho natural horn alarm
ists, nre here IN thorough sympathy With
Mr.. Roosevelt Like him, they believe
that Football Is n grent game, with d
legitimate and not urltnporthht place IN
Tie schedule of undergraduate life. Like
him. too they strongly believe that rougli-
Ing tactics, dirty play and brutality III.
nny form should be rooted out at MI,
hazards. That tile President has used
his official and personnl influence to 1n-
press both these cardinal points on those
from whom such Influence should produce
results Is, therefore, Il matter for gem
eral appreciation It Is pleasant to note
that the representatives or Yale, Harvard
ana Princeton. following on their confer
cnce ut the White House, have pledged
themselves to do their utmost toward tho
elimination Of all foul play in future
games.
The time for Intervention Of some sort
is undoubtedly ut hand. The opening Of
the present season has been signali2cd by
M unusual number Of casualties. Indeed,
1t IS probably true that Of lato years
each season has left an $unhapplcr record
of this sort than the one before It. Public
sentiment IS dead against dirty play; tho
rules pcnalizcr and aim to destroy It; and
vet it appears to be D on the increase
There can be only ono way OF accounting
for this The unit In foot bali, rs in most
other things is tho Individual man, and
II team that plays dirty ball is simply
d team composed Of dirty players.
Many misdceds arc being committed
by our college athletic directors in tho
name of victory Profession
nlisln is n faint which reaches far. Our
readers are no doubt familiar with the
methods of the college "ngent" or
prosclytiscr. Promising men are bid for
in the prep schools, are picked up from
offices and conscrlpted from even less.
academic walks of life. Salaries under
ono name or another are freely given
them to como to such and such a college
and play foot ball. What kind of play
is to be expected from 'sportsmen" Of
this type? They know ats{they arc
paid to win games for their college, and
-
are not hampered by the scruples popu-
larly supposed to regulate q gentleman's
If tho star player on the other
team seems to need doing up" these
are the men who will chccrfully under
take it. If victory depends upon the
making Of n touchdown, these are the
men who will stoop TO any crooked trick
to make 1t. The ethics of football can
never be improved so long as men Of
this stamp are allowed to take part In It..
Football is too good q game to go,
but it had better go than stand as a
ground for sharp practice, COM
and brutality. Reform will
never come by regulations in tho rule
book. IL must begin atWtnc &bOltOln-at
the individual man. The college agent
must 80. The athletic ''scholarship''
must go. The coaching system that stands
or falls on tho question OF victory must 4
go ;6 The principle which bids to win at
any cost must be blotted out Of mind.
Dirty play must meet q stronger oppo-
sition than 1t finds In the warnings OF
the referee. It must be opposed by the
unanimous and open disapproval OF the
college community, and the player adj
dicted to 1t should be dismissed from the
squad though the team strength hinged
upon him. Football will never be n gen
tic game, but to sny that 1t cannot be
played without brutality Is merely to
arraign tho manlness and honor Of the
flower OF American youth. To this ex-
IRENE, we imagine, few Intelligent people
will be prepared to go. They will prefer
to believe that n fine sport has fallen
upon evil days, from which 1t should be
rescued, not by extinction. but
by the Inspiration of better Impulses.
..atg