The Washington herald., 1909-11-22
Abolish Football.

Editor The Washington Herald:
Abolish football, Not because some coll
lege has done so. but because 1t is COM
mon sense. There IS an element Of dan
ger IN every game from war 10 Skinny.
Danger is celebrating Men court it IN
the paths OF war, and women IN the
ways OF love Football is the cancer OF
athletics. Men risk IL for its activity
and skill and power IN the play OF mind
and muscle. Football and danger en-
not be separated Every man of field
work and outdoor sport knows H. a
man. hands free, falling, guards against
hurt with his hands. but with hands full
Is helpless. In it's simplest aspect a man
with freedom of hands Is ia danger OF
life or limb In falling. IS more so with
hands clasping q ball. and still more so
when tripped and thrown while running.
and IS at the mercy OF fate when caught
and crushed 20 earth by many. he risks
his life IN being the objective Of attack
and defense in the game. lie must hold
tho ball until passed 10 friend I'm evasion
OF foe. lie has no purchase He may
fan on elbow hip, head, or side without
help u hands 90 ward of hurt a dan
gerous same-an exacting game. Il is
also a game where spite may seek its
satisfaction and succeed under cover on
helpless victim piuloned under seeth-
ing mass Of humanity.
The game IS called, They are playing,
There goes the ball. See, IL is caught.
What a great run, A cheer goes up
THE goal. The goalr the cry. mo. no!
He Is down. lie is DOWN. is hurled
back. Yes. he was doWu-caught. tripped.
thrown-bUt arising, darted away, is
grappled, thrown again and hidden en- "a
! battling mass OF men about him. bear
ing him down, crushing HIM 20 earth,
m8ngliuE and manning. none knows how
much. till one by one they loosen their
/ hold and crawl of. % find him dead or
| dying-the ball clutched under him.
Football should De abolished u cannot
/ be Invested OF danger. II cannot be made
harmless by police surveillance. College
games are manly games for the sport
/ Of manly men. So with our school games
/ Tor boys. The teachers, failing iu their
effort 20 Impress the boys with the RICH,
I way. the policemen cannot mend matters,
neither as ceusors nor as officers OF law.
I Abolish football IL is tho quickest way,
| surest way, best way ont OF it. But our
I boys must have n substitute. They should
not be denied their school games as they
/ have been their Fourth of july fire.
/ crackers, and as may be from plans now
/ on foot their national Independence Day
/ by IT'S being changed into am international
show day with automobile prize con-
/ tests and some fairy scenes in mongrel
/ diversion without national meaning "a
, national pride.
But what viii take tho place N foot
/ hGll2 Rife practice. But as football IS
/ the cancer OF athletics. r. being abolished
the next most dangerous game VIII take
/ Its place. There has TO be superlativt
/ IN danger il is measured by what
exists. Man needs IL for practice for
. the strenuous life as the oak the wind
. 20 stand the storm. Whatever 10 is. II
I should be manly-sOmething which viii
fiji men for the initiative in blowing the
land, digging 20 the bowels Of the earth
going to the bottom Of the sea. or fying
the air, and. if need be. for war itself