The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01
DUELS NOT SPORTSWANLIKE
ERGiishman says Thsy Are Net FA'E
AIthsut = Handicap.

NM1aNA = hAA1NANs
DueIIing has come in Tor criticism on I
various scores. hut q writer N bduBH
Ma0aFins objects 20 II for the reason that
II IL -unspOrtsmanlike lie declares that
tho essence Of good sport lies IN une
handicap aud that in duelling there 'sn
anything n that sort. -,
The lamb. says he. has 20 90 out ana
bs eaten by the lion. tho lion having
previously made love 20 his vile OF
libellcd him in print " course u takes
bravery 20 90 20 out, but the d'lsll'Sts
bravery as a matter Of fact is In inverse
proportion to his skill.
Barring a very slight element OF mcE
be who can shoot straiEhtest has the
issue in his hand This is tho ground OF
my complaint against the lack OF proper
handicapping
For all the advantage given 20 N"
worse PLAYER il might h. lust rubber
Of bridge with marked cards or any
other game Of hazard with loaded dice
I The tr,ieS, Bravery Il 10 measure %
disregard VI death. ~ that Of the duel'lsts
n japan. who merely commit SUICIDE
simultaneously Both win both lose ahH
+ presumably q third partv ~ found TO
/ console tbs fair object Of the encounter
/ PERHAPS the most absurd form OF the
/ modern duel is that ~ which saw some
thing twenty years ago. when was
student IN a German university Though
opposed 70 d,lsllinE 10 his army the I'm.
peror appears 20 regard u a. sacred
a. - fHt
aud has repeatsdly encouraged y IN ms
speeches
From what / remember ~ them Ger
man students honor the duel less a. 'he
mode OF settling any point Of honor On
many of the corps duels no specihc po'ni
! is involved, than a. an easy method
OF salf-advertisemsnt for very young
men with a surplus Of bser
= recoliec, the late Sir Wilfr!d lawson
making this dual worship 81 hops and
the duel tho subject o! ons Of those hons
mots in which he took such innocent
Measure He suggested that tho German
dag would in future be known - che
Scars and SwiDes
III ANYTHING could excuse the German
university uNel u ~ Nue "AAlAN 49, AlSHa-
ness OF the great majority Of encounters.
Nv an elaborate process Of handaging.
which AZ once projects the face and in
pedes the arm, the risk of fatality il mini
nigsd though blood poisoning some
times follows Against this. Osteneibly,
though 10 realty by way Of advertising
his proves the happy recipient Of face
wounds. which leave scars for life. paradise
the streets for the neat month 10 car0olc
Injected by the spirit o. the age.
MANY great men have been addicted 20
lCSnIg Canning. CaatleTcAGh and
he lgixs Of Wellington (all lTiehmen.
" Re wavl, ell went out Ia their day.
The Cardinal DE- Retz was a skilful duelist
! A. aluo was Bismarck The great Gen.
! RoulanRoT. on the contrary. was the
poorast swordaman in his regiment and
, invariably spltied himself on his oD-
ponent's blade with rush Ike that Of
! 4 mad bull Even Disraeli, ever fond
/ ~ The nictureauue. once made himself
b ridiculous by challenging O'Conneil be-
cause b. had In q spesch suggested the
/ othsr's Hneal descent from the impeniieni
thief ON the Gross
Where the duel IL not comedy u /,
. tragedy aud crime a. that A. the sans
time IL must be admitted that fatal meet
inKn are few Hundreds % duels az,
7 IumEnl ia ENMuNe auA W. many MtgAlF
every decade, yet | can recall only twt
that attained any nOtOriety during ths
I last twenty years the one In which
during the Dreyfus troubles. the Marquis
De Mores killed his man Ia Paris. and
! thu other. in which, AZ the outcome Ot q
cause cfRbre the Baron Won SChradsi
, fell at Potsdam
B Not many men have hal the mora
: courage 20 brave public opinion and run
. The risk ot being branded a. towards ~
refusing 10 90 out Alexander Hamilton
d Who left written evidence that he lOathsd
duellng ON principle fell In one. Even
= ord halcarTes. who met the traitor
I Arnoh aud who when the other had
, missed fire. threw away his pistol with
: the remark that he preferred 20 leave
I traitors ~ the hangman, could not r..
. sist the summons
r When the gentl sman gets around n
? this country some 81 his expressions
are interesting For example he Gays that
4 in England and the more CivilIze por,
' tons ~ America the vogue 81 the due
. IN dead. and he also says that Americ5
{ used a generation ago 70 take ~ duellinl
seriously II was a fight TO a finish
4 with either six shooters or bowie kniy -
4 national sport which mas he traced
' 70 the !arge admixture ~ Irish arc
Italian brood