Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-24

urally find some groIip Of specisiIv con-
s gen fIiends with whom he VIII form
groups-athletio, artistic, scientine. social
must inevitably exist. Ny plea Is not for
be got into the right focus in the eyes
s snes % the different groups sbSil Be un-
oerstood when compared with the Infinitely
greater life Of the college as a whole. Let
each man have his special associates. his
pursuits, but let him reTnember that he
cannot get the full benefit OF life in coll
lege II he does nothing but specialize; and
not DO his fun duty by the college unless
n nls M. nrst and greatest interest ls in the
mass and not In any small group.
sports Are Democratic.
One reason why / SO thoroughly believe
IN the athletic spirit at Harvard is because
Our chief interest should not lie in the
great champions in sport. on the con.
to widen the base, the foundation in ath-
letic sports; to encourage In every way
healthy rivalry which shall give to the
chance to take part in vigorous out
door games; II is Of far more inn
thing himself, even IL he plays it badly
| than that he shall so with hundreds
Of companions to see some one else play
, wells and II Is not healthy for either stu
dents or athletics II the terms are mutu-
ally exclusive. But even having this aim
| especially IN view II seems TO me we can
ment to the champions in the sports, and
this can only be done by encouraging in
believe In seeing Harvard or any other col
lege turn out mOllycoddfes instead OF Vigor-
gus men, ! may add that ! do not in the
| Rowing, base bail, Ia crosse, track and
held games. hockey foot bali are all Of
them good.
| Foot Ban Can he Clean.
4 Il 20 t~d cfr
/ sense. mere confession of weakness, to
desire to abolish a game because tendencies
Sh byc ne mems tS .h or practices grop up
formed Take foot ball. for instance. The
preparatory schools are able to keep foot
the players without the slightest necessity
ever arising to so much consider the
question Of abolishing it. There is no
show the same capacity, and there Is no
real need for considering the question of
let the college authorities interfere to stop
any excess or perversion. making their in
seIierence as little oncious as possible,
ana yet as rigorous as 10 necessary to
achieve the end. But there lie no justihca-
ton for stopping thoroughly manly sport
experience of every good preparatory school
| showB that the abuse is in no shape neces-
we We can not atfppd t TO t sn'e out Of col
lege men who shrink from physical effort
or from little physical pain. In any re-
average citizen II he is to be a good citizen
ana he needs physical courage no less than
well as the Courage that endures' the cours
age that will fight valiantly alike against
the foes Of the soul and the foes Of the
, pody Athletics are good, especially in
their rougher forms. because they tend to
develop such courage They are good also
spirit; for in the athletic field the man
must be judged not with reference to out
side and accidental attributes but, to that
I NJ bod xrfera nd al
quality which go to make up prowess
Athletics Not Business.
trust L need not add that in defending
athletics l would not for one moment be
athletics which would make it the end
81 lie instead offmerely means in life.
! ful as such. But. play is not business, and
II Is a Very poor business indeed for a
college man TO learn nothing but sport.
not need to consider; but disregarding
these, I cannot with sufficient emphasis
, viii do badly unless you turn your atten-
, ton to the serious work of life with de-
: votion which will render it impossible for
you to pay much heed to sport In the way
In which 1t is perfectly proper for you to
! pay heed while in college. Play while you
play is sSty gSoS sRns APe
. that you had better never play at all than
+ to get into a condition Of mind where you
, / or where you permit II to hamper and in-
/ tsrfere with your doing your full duty in
) 4 the real work of the world.
word also to the students. Athletics
) are good; study is even better; and best
I Character for the lack, of which, in an in
diyldual as IN a nation, no amount q
\ brllliancy of mind or strength of body
Z twill atone. Harvard must do more thar
: produce studentsi yet, after all, It will
a fall fmmeasureably short of its duty and
humber of true students. Of true scholars
Moreover, let the students remember tina
in the long run in the field Of study judgmen
iirstecisss work produced in the way O
! productive scholarship, and that no amour
Of second-class work can atone Tor failure
! in the college to produce this hrst-clasl
work. A course of study Is Of little wortl
II Il tends to deaden individual lnitauy,,
cessors American scholarship VIII b.
TSsed pro eSt az by tG rSHs Workers. but
the small amount Of hrst-class output Q
those who In hsts SSS.,F 9TaR n Siahd
and in combination will ever take the plac
OF this first-hand original work. this pro
> ductive and creative work, whether II
- science, in art, In literature. ...
III Function of College.
The greatest special function Of a colleg
as distinguished from LIS general tuneuo
OF pr oducing good citizenship, should
n SO 10 shape conditions as to put pre-
]. MUM upon the development Of productiv
II form OF intelIectuti work. The men who's
shief concern lies with the work of tn
g student in study, should bear this faS
= ever before them.
l. So much for what have TO say to 20
Il purely as Harvard men. Now, wor
| which applies to you merely as II apple
= TO all college men. TO all men in this couT
n try who have received the benefits or
Is college education; and what have to sa
!, on this topic can properly be said unde
= the auspices OF your political club 10
3 here when you graduate will take up man
10 different kinds of work; but there is or
10 work in which all of you should take pa
~ simply as good American citizens, and tina
=. Is the work OF self-government Remembe
ii In the first place. that 10 take part
"a the work OF government does not In q
least mean OF necessity to hold oftic
D. 1t means to take an intelligent, disinte
" ested and practical part in the eyeryda
duties OF the average citizen, OF the cit
- zen who IL not faddist or a doctrinair
~ but who abhors corruption and disikes Il
ID efficiency; who wishes to see decent go
~ eminent prevail at home, with genull
= equality OF opportunity for all men 50 I,
" as Il can be brought about; and WI
r. wishes, as far as foreign matters are col
ur cefned. to see this nation treat all 9TH
~ nations, great and small. with respect, al
~ " need be with generosity, and at Il
same time show Itself able to prote
ar itself by its own might from any wroI
r. at the hands OF any outside power