The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-01
SUMMER BASEBALL
MAY BE BARRED
COLLEGES LIKELY 10 FORBID
PLAYING BY AMATEUR STU.
DENTS ALTOGETHER.
NO MIDDLE GROUND POSSIBLE
intercollegiate Athletic Association
Eventually May Prohibit the Ap.
pearanes Of Any College Man In
Athletic Club colors-meu Who
Need Money Should Work


Athletic association Of the United
States toward summer baseball has
already provoked very general out
cry against the stringency Of the reg
ulations proposed to stop the practice.
The protest comes not only from the
players themselves, but in many
cases from the college authorities. 1t
evidences the fact that the practice
is very much more widespread and
the danger OF Its injecting the whole
fabric Of intercollegiate athlet-
les Is very real Prof G. W. Hether-
ington, who is chairman Of the com
mittee appointed to formulate means
OF stopping summer ball, declares that
there can be no middle ground pur-
sued, that either the present interpre-
tation Of the amateur rule must be al
tered for all sports or its application
must be as strict In baseball as in any
other.
There have been many institutions
which have upheld the view that col
legiate authorities may take no cog
nizance Of acts committed during va
cation period, when the colleges are
NOT In session, but It Is difficult to see
how professionalism in summer diff
fers from professionalism In winter.
None Of these would hold that the col
lege authorities should countenance
professionalism in other sports. and
the mere fact that the control Of sum
mer baseball is difficult does not iusti-
fy ignoring its manifest evils. Some
colleges 90 even further than this.
and hold that not only is summer
baseball tolerable, but that 1t should
be encouraged. and, in a few instances.
actually obtain desirable positions for
their players to earn money during the
summer, In the same way that they
obtain positions, where possible. for
students desiring to earn money in
clerical or other places. This fla
grant encouragement of professional
ism Is limited to a very few.
It is not the intention of the com
mittee appointed to eliminate the prac-
tice to modify their purpose to adopt
drastic measures in the least on ac-
count OF the attitude Of these institu.
tions. Their idea is TO formulate a
rule which will absolutely prevent
summer baseball, compelling the insti-
tutions which favor retaining It to
make public declaration Of this inten-
ton, with the ultimate result that
those colleges prohibiting It shall
schedule games with those maintain
ing It only with full knowledge OF the
true conditions.
II is believed that the regulations
which will be ultimately adopted will
cut out all Of these various classes by
a rule somewhat similar to that which
is adopted BY the intercollegiate con
ference Of nine colleges in the wes,
going even further. however, than the
conference has In the matter and an
plying the rule not only to baseball.
but to all lines Of sport. This rule
reads as follows:
A student shall be ineligible to rep
resent his college in athletic contests
who engages in such contests as a rep
resentative Of any athletic organiza-
tion not connected with his college.
whether Ia term time or vacation.
BY prohibiting athletes who would
represent their college from compet-
Ing in any other organization they
would not only strike their blow at
the evils Of summer baseball. but at
track athletics difhoulties such as have
harassed the athletic clubs In the
metropolitan district Of the Amateur
Athletic union II would simply com
pei all men to choose between rop-
resentlng their colleges and athletic
clubs.
While athletic club representation
is not considered In itself objection
able, there Is no way TO be assured
that the proselyting which is done on
behalf Of clubs does not entail the OF.
ferlng Of tangible inducements Of an
Objectionable character to the com
Detitor. and It Is deemed fair and
proper to restrict college athletics to
those who are willing to keep them
selves beyond the pale Of suspicion.
II is held that those students who
need money 80 badly that they must
sacrifice their amateur standing can.
not anord TO devote the time neces.
sary 70 college representation uhen
they might better employ # IN ac-
quirlng the money which they need.
In other words, the realization has
come to most Of those who are fl con.
troll Of college sport that the time has
passed when It is possible to restore a
healthy condition to the collegiate ath-
letic body by the application Of moder-
ate remedy. that the only thing which
can now serve to prevent the pollution
Of the entire body is to ampulate the
member which IA afflicted By the dis
ease.
There has been no argument ad-
vanced By any Of the supporters Of
summer baseball which will not be
BY the application Of this
remedy.
Coz WIN Train IN Maine Woods.