The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24
PRESIDENT ON
STATES RIlGHIs.
Makes Notable Speech
Before Harvard Union
at Cambridge.
COUNTRY NEEDS
MEN WHO WORK
-------------
Says That, Athletics Are Good for
Every Man, But One Must
Not Get In the Habit Of
Play So That Hc
Shirks His
Duty.

Duty.
BOSTON. Tob. 25,--Presidcnt ROOFS
ueit addressed the students OF Harvard
university this afternoon ns follows:
In speaking here At tho Harvard Union
! wish to say first u special word AZ
one Harvard mun 10 his fellow Harvard
men. fell jhat we can none q us ever
he sufficiently grateful to Colonel tHig-
ginaon for having founded This Harvard /
Union, because each loyal Harvard man 1
should do all he can 10 foster IL! 1lar-
ward that spiril oftrcal democracy which
wili make harvard men feel thcYvitnl |
sense OF solidarity SO that they can
all Join to woik together IN the things 1
that arc OF mort concern TO the college.
ii Is idle 10 expect. nor indeed would |
* be desirable that there should be. In
lIarvard. a uniform level OF taste and
association. Some men VIII excel IN ono |
thing and some IN another: some IN things
or the body, somc IN things Of the mind;
and whore thousands are gathered to-
gcthor each viii naturally find some
group of specially congenial friends With
whom he VIII form ties OF peculiar So
ciai intimacy. These groups--athletc, ar
tigtic, scientific, socal--Inust inevitably
esslst, My plea is not for thei: abo-
@lithn My plea is that they shall be
got into the right focus In the eyes OF
college mon, that the relative Importance
OF the different groups snail be Under
htood when compared with the inhnltel!
rrsatcr life OF the college as n whole.
lot each man have his special associates,
his special interests. his special studies
and pursuits but let him remember tnat
lie cannot get the full benefit OF HE
III college II he does nothing but spe-s
es.lize: and that. what is even more
IL, Ifl
tllc college unless his first and greatest
interest IS liz the college itself, ~ ms
associates taken as mass. und not
ir any small group II
Athletic Spirit Demo cratic.
ono rea son whv i go thoroughly believe
in the athletic spirit at Harvard Is. be-
cause the athletic spirit is essentially
democratic. Our chief interest shonid.
not lie In tile grea t champions IN sport
On the contrary our concern snouiu DC
most OF all TO widcn the base, the foun-
daton in athletic sports; 70 encourage
In every way healthy rivalry which
shall give to The largest possible num-
( her OF students the chance to take part
IN vigorous outdoor games. II 1s or
far more Importance that man shall
rlay something himself. even II he plays
it badly, than that he shall 60 with
hundreds Of companions TO see some one
else play well and It is not healthy
Tor either student or athletes II the
terms are mutually exclusive. But even
having this aim especially in view, u
seems to me VIC can best attain 1t by
giving proper encouragement to the
champions In tho sports, and this can
only be done by encouraging intercolle-
( giate sport AS | cmphauca1ly dis
believe in seeing Harvard or any other
college turn out mollyroddles instead OF
Vigorous men, l may add that LIDO not
i IN the least object to a sport because 1t
Is rough, Rowing, baseball. la crosse,
track and field games, hockey, football
nre all of them good Moreover IT is
10 my mind simple nonsense. mere
confession OF weakness. to desire to
abolish q game because tendencies snow
themselves. or practices grow up. which
prove that the game ought to be re-
formed. Take football, for INSTANCE.
I Phe preparatory schools arc able to keep
football clean and to develop the right t
spirit in the players without the slightest
4 necessity ever arising to so much as
consider the question Establishing 1t.
There Is no excuse whatever for coll
ieges failing to show the same capacity.
and there is no real need for consider
ing tho question of the abolition OF the
game. If necessary. let the college au-
thortias interfere to stop any excess
or pervcrsioli. making their interference
MS little oilicous as possible, ana Yet
MS vigorous as Is necessary to achieve
the end. But there Is no Justification
for stopping a.thoroughly manly sport be-
cause ii is sometimes abused. when the
experience of every good preparatory
school shows that The abuse is in nc
shape necessarily attendant upon tho
game.
Men Who Shrink Useless.
We cannot AFFORD to turn out OF col
lege men who shrink from physical ef
fort or from Il little physical pain, j
any republic courage Is a prime necessity
Tor the average citizen II he is to b.
q good citizen; and he needs physica
courage no less than moral courage, tn
courage that dares as well as the cour
age that endures. the courage that lwll
fight valiantly alike against tho foe
nt the soul and the foes OF the body
Athletics are good, especially ~ thel
rougher forms because they tend TO de
velop such courage They are good ais
cratic spirit; for In the athletic field tn
man must be judged not with referenc
to outside and accidental attributes. bu
to that combination OF bodily vgor an
moral quality which go to make U
81 prowess. .3
7 trustlI need not add that in defend
ing athletics would not for one me
ment be understood as eXcusing that pei
version Of athletics which would max
It the end Of life Instead Of merely
means III ING. - ! Is llFSl-claSS6 neulFHl
play. and Is useful as SUCH But play
not business, and It Is a very poor bus
ness indeed for II college man to lear
nothing hut sport There arc exceI
tonal cases which ! do not need
consider; but disregardng these, cal
not, with sufficient emphasis, sny til
when you get through college you wi
do badly unless yon turn Your attcntic
70 the serious work If lifo with a
votlon which will render It lmposs!b
for you}to pay much heed to sport 4
tmho m Nay In which II is perfectly prop
for you to pay heed Willie In colleg
Play while you nlay and work while ~
work. and thougll play Is u mighty got
thing, remember that yon had bett
neyer play nt all than to get into co
dition 5of slnpd where you regard play.
tlie serious business of life. or Wnc