Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-24
ROOSEVELT !.
TO HARVARD STUDENTS
Continued from FIRST Page.
associates taken as Il mass, and not
i'll any small group.
Believes in Athlstjcs.

u.
i Believes in Athl.tics.
y "Onc reason why | 80 thoroughly
believe in tho athletic spirit at Har-
ward Is because the athletic spirit is
essentially Democratic. Our chief In.
'erest should not lie in the great
champions in sport. On the contrary
our concern should he most of all to
widen the base the foundation I'm ath.
| lelic sports: TO encourage in every
| way healthy rivalry which shall
! give to the largest possible number
OF students the chance to take part
III vigorous outdoor games II is OF
lar more Importance that man shall
pay something himself, even if he
plays II badly, than that he shall 20
with hundreds OF champions to sec
some one else play well. and ii Is not
healthy for either students or ath
lctes If the terms are mutually OK
elusive. But even having this aim
especially in view. it seems I'd me we
can best attain 1t by giving proper
encouragement TO the champions I'm
the sports, ami this can only be done
ny encouraging intercollegiate snort
AS | emphatically disbelieve in see
ing Harvard or any other college turn
out mollycoddles instead OF vigorous
men, may add that do not In the
ieast OBJECT to sport because Il is
rough. Rowing. baseball, la crosse
track and field games, hockey, foot
bail are all of them good. Moreover.
it Is TO my mind simple nonsense, II
mere confession of weakness. to de-
sire to abolish game because ten
uencies show themselves, or prac-
tices grow up, which prove that tho
game ought TO be reformed.
Football is All Riaht.
Take football. for instance. The
preparatory schools are able to keen
football clean and TO develop the
right spirit in the players without
the slightest necessity ever arising
to so much as consider the question
OF abolishing it. There is no excuse
whatever for colleges failing to show
the same capacity and there Is no
real need for considering the question
OF the abolition of the game. If nee
essary, let the college authorities in
terfere to stop any excess or perver.
sion, making their interference as
little officious rs possible, and vet
as rigorous as Is necessary to achieve
the end. But there Is no justification
for stopping thoroughly manly sport
because it is sometimes abused. when
the experience of every good prepar.
| atory school shows that the abuse
is III no shape necessarily attendant
upon the game.
| We can not afford to turn out of
college men who shrink from physical
effort or from q little physical pain.
III any republic courage is prime
necessity for the average citizen iCi
ne is TO be good citizen: and he
needs physical courage no less than
moral courage. the courage that dares
rs we'll as the courage that ondures.
the courage that will fight yaliantly
alike against the foes of the soul and
the foes of the body.
Tend to Develop Courage.
| Athletics are good. especially in
their rouGher forms, because thew
tend TO develop such courage. They
are good also because they encourage
true democratic spirit; for in the
athletic field the man must be Judged
not with reference to outside and
accidental attributes, but to that
combination of bodily yigor and
moral quality which go to make IN
prowess.
Il trust need not add that in de. !,
lending athletics | would not for one
moment be understood as excusing /,
that perversion of athletics which |
would make it the end of life instead
OF merely means in life. 1t is first. |
class healthful play, and is useful ms
| such. But play is not business. and
It is a very poor business indeed for
= college man to learn nothing but
sport. There are exceptional cases
winch do not need to consider; but
| iisregarding these, can not with
| sufficient emphasis say that when
YOU get through college you will do
radly unless you turn your, attention |
% the serious work of life with a |
| 'evotion which will render 1t impos.
'ible for you to pay much heed to
sport in the way in which it is per
'ectly proper for yon to pay heed
while in college. Play while YOU
,lay and work while you work; and
hough play is a mighty good thing,
| remember that you had better never
nay at all than to get into condi- |
ion of mind where you regard play
rs the serious business of life or
where you permit it to hamper and
Interfere with your doing your full
luty in the real work of the world.
A Word to the Students.
word also to the students. Alh-
etics are good; study is even better
nd best of all is the development of
he type of character for the lack of
which, in an individual as in a ma
ion. no amount Of brilliancy of mind
VI of strength of body will atone
Harvard must do more than produce
| tudents; vet, after all. she will fall
| UNNECESSARILY short of her duty and
| Ell opportunity unless she produces
| great number of true students, of
| rue scholars. Moreover, let the stu