Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-17
FIGHTS SUMMER 4
BASE BALL RULE
Cornhuskers Serve Notice on Other
Teams They Will Not Pretend
to Observe Dead Law.
WILL NOT CERTIFY PLAYERS
Instances of How Rule is Evaded in
Eastern Schools.
SOME INFORMATION FOR KANSAS
Names Of Jayhawker Players Not
Eligible Will Be Given.
CONFERENCE NEXT THURSDAY
Presidents of Missouri Colleges Meet
at Kansas CITY to Discuss Foot
hall Matter May Come
Up Then.
WILL NOT CERTIFY PLAYERS
Instances of How Rule is Evaded in
Eastern Schools.
oNE INFORMATION FOR KANSAS
Names Of Jayhawker Players Not
Eligible Will Be Given.
NEXT THURSDAY

LINCOLN, April ls- --(speciai)-Nebraska
stands in the most discouraging position OF
being either forced to abandon the games
on it's base ball schedule or TO forsake its
position on the summer base ball question
and certify to the eligibility OF it's players
with fun knowledge that they profess
sionals within the meaning of the anti
summer ball rule Of the Missouri valley
conference and clearly Ineligible under that
regulation for intercollegiate base ball con-
tests.
To follow the course OF cancelllng all
games with Missouri valley and Chicago
conference teams would mean that the
season Of 1910 would be ruined for the Corn
huskers and that the nine would probably
disorganize without attempting to carry
out the farce Of playing secondary schools
or teams from institutions that observe no
eligibility rules whatsoever.
But to select the only other way open to
the Nebraska board-that Of certifying to
the amateur standing OF the players-would
mean that the summer base ball PROPOSE
ton would be no nearer a solution than
Il was a year ago and that the Corn
husker board should have TO continue to
make its students give false statements re-
garding their standing in athletics. This
action would be contrary to the Nebraska
boards sense OF equity and the members .
of the board will not think OF adopting 1t. |
They mean to fight out the campaign that
they have inaugurated against Anti-summer
base bali legislation and they mean that /,
this fight shall be carried on until the solU-
tlon to the perpexing problem is found, !
even II the University of Nebraska does /
not have a base ball organization for five
years. /
Notice TO Kansas the start.
The refusal to play Kansas under the
conference eligibility rule relating to SUM
mer ball, was the opening move OF the
crusade by the Cornhuskers. Iowa, Ames. J
Drake. Missouri and Minnesota are being
served with similar notices to the one
which was sent to Kansas: Nebraska
believes its base ball men are as eligible
as any OF past years or as any in the con-
ferences, but 1t will not certify to their
eligibility under the summer ball regula-
tions.s
This notice will undoubtedly elicit from
the other schools OF the conference the
same tart message that Kansas sent:
Cannot play Nebraska unless athletic
board will certify to eligibility of its play
ers." This. indeed, IS the reply that the
Cornhusker board expects; II will be sur
prlsed should any other message come as
the matter must be taken before the con-
ference body in order to permit any school
to play Nebraska, without the Corn
husker boards having signed a statement
testifying to the eligibility of it's men.
The refusal OF the conference schools to
play Nebraska will Of course, cause the
ICornhuskers 10 abandon the games already
booked for the present season. The Ne
braska board has thought deeply of the
consequences that will follow Its determine
tiOn TO fight for summer base bali but it
has been willing to 90 ahead and force the
question to an issue even at the cost OF
losing season OF base ball
For many years Nebraska and many
other schools OF the west have been tired
Of the attempts to keep university and col
lege athletes out OF seui-professionsl ball
during the summer months In the east.
and in several other parts OF the country.
the schools have come to the decision that
summer base BAH among college students
is an evil which cannot be destroyed. Try
as they may and draft rules as they please.
the university governing bodies cannot
keep young and skilled players from earn
ing easy dollars during the summer by
playing ball
I 'Better Than PeddIinE."
A majority OF the young men who usa
their skill to earn money during vacations
are forced to pay part OF their way through
college. They could peddle IN the summer.
work on a railroad gang or farm; but such
labor is too strenuous for the average COLI
lege man. and then, It is not as honor
able as playing ball SO those college
athletes who can draw pay for their ball
playing accept positions each summer with
the semi-Drofessionai teams OF the coun-
/ ,.ft
No faculty ever is able to get any tangible
evidence that the athletes received money.
Many subterfuges are resorted to in order
to evade the penalty imposed by the sum-
mer ball regulations. Some of the men
sell cigars over the counter OF the popu-
lar tobacco stand In the town on whose
team they play. The hours OF the base
ball man In the cigar store usually average
about six week; he Is on the job for an
hour each evening after the game. and
during that time he smokes more cigars
than he sells. This system is the plan or
evasion followed In the western states
! In the east, the college ball player is q
} member OF a summer resort hotel team
J He is supposed to be waiting tables for his
board and playing BAN for exercise. The
truth IS that nearly 100 per cent OF the east
. ern ball players never carried a napkin
across their arm and probably would be
! worse than a bull IN a china shop II they
essayed 10 drift through the swinging doors
Of dining room with tray OF dishes
'sThe Rule IL wrong"
Such rulings as make college athiOfes re-
sort to the shifting tactics adopted BY the
summer ball players are radically wrong
IN spirit for they make liars and cheats
out OF college men.
This IL the view OF the proposition taken
BY the Nebraska athletic board. And 70 re-
move the cause OF the lying and deceiving
among college players Is the reason for the