Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-12
ONE SIDED VIEW
SAYS OCC|DEN TAI
COLLEGE lMBR0GLI0 GOES
MERELY ON
Presbyterians Claim That List OF
the Competing Athletes Was
Sent to Clare-
mont

Anent the Occidental-Pom trouble
concerning the eligibility of an Occi-
dental track man comes a reply from
Occidental in answer to the article
which appeared in yesterdays Herald,
when A. M. Smith, chairman of the
Pomona athletic association, among
other statements declared that Occi-
dental had not complied with her own
rules regarding athletic relations.
The Occidental version follows:
"Mr. Smith of Pomona, in his pro-
test against the actions Of Occidental
in regard to the track situation, seems
to have taken a rather one-sided view
of the existing conditions and to have
based his statements solely upon that
view.
ut is true that the eligibility rules
adopted by the executive committees
of the southern colleges were practi-
cally the same as those adopted by
Occidental, for the government of her
own athletics. Where, however, does
Mr.. Smith get his authority for the
statement that Occidental did not live
up to her own rules last fall?
Before every football game list of
the players eligible for that game was
sent to the school to be played, in
order that they might enter a protest
against any name on that list.
mo such protest was at any time en-
tered against any player, each oppos-
ing school thereby giving its sanction
to the playing of all men on the list.
Notwithstanding all this, Mr.. Smith
now comes forward with a statement
that Occidental did not live up to her
own rules and Furthermore adds that
Allen Merrill was played on her team
contrary to these rules.
However, Mr.. Smith brings forward
no proof of his statements, but evil
IDENTIFY deems it sufficient proof to have
simply made them. He appears to
have forgotten that Pomona had every
opportunity last fall to protest Merrill
but took no steps whatsoever to do so.
thereby showing that she considered
him eligible to play.
Merrill did not play in violation of
the rules and it is hardly fair to him
to bring such a charge without some
definite proof to back it up.
Occidental still claims that Chaplin
Is eligible to compete this year, on the
ground that he could compete in any
Of the eastern universities or in STAN
ford or Berkeley.
1T is only Pomona's Interpretation
of the rules that gives him already
five years of competition, Occidental
contending that he has had but three
Of track, in which branch he is now
entered
Here again Pomona had a chance
to protest Chaplin last fall for his name
was on the football list handed them
to be approved. Knowing, however,
that he would in all probability be
only substitute they did not take
any action in the matter, being con-
tent to wait until track season opened
when they knew that he would be sure
to win two events from them.
How Chaplin could be eligible for
football and not for track under exactly
the same rules is rather hard to see.
Mr.. Smiths last statement was that
Occidental is using ST. Vincent's as a
club in regard to a triple meet. The
fact is however that Occidental had
no right to go ahead last week and
make triple agreement with Pomona
and U. S. G. while she was still bound
to U. S. c. and st. Vincent's by a three
year contract.
'She does not wish nor does she in
tend to use st. Vincents as a club,
but she realizes that she did not treat
st. Vincent's squarely in her action and
is now trying to make amends to that
college.9
occidental has always stood for
clean athletics and the men that she
has played this year, she feels have
been up to the standard of those played
by any other school in the south. If
however, it can be proved that any
OF her athletes are not playing in ac-
cordance with the adopted rules she
will be more than willing to bar them
from any further participation in her
contests"