Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-12
By
Bishop
Warren A.
Gambler

peril is not inconsiderable. But their
worst effect is the corruption of the
ideals of college life which they bring to
pass. They glorify the merely physical
and minify the nobler things of life. In
former days the absorbing contests of
college life were in the class room and
the debating society; now they are in the
gymnasium and the, ball field. Then the
honours most desired were the rewards
Of virtue and intelligence; now the dis
tinctions most sought are matters of
muscle and Drawn.
We have preached the gospel of ath-
leticism far beyond it's real truth and
value. We have talked much of having
a sound mind in a sound body, and we
have placed so much emphasis on the
body that we have almost ignored the
mind We have deihed brutality, and re-
turned to the worship of Hercules. This
superstitious cult has cost us much; for
the worship of brute strength comes
high. To follow 1t we have sacrificed
both mental culture and moral charac-
ter And we have not found in the cult
even the physical Dement'S that have been
claimed for 1t. These college games do
not give exercise to the whole student
body, but only to the selected players.
And to the chosen mines and "elevens"
these sports have not brought the most
wholesome exercise. On the contrary,
they have been violent and health-de-
stroying. Our god, Hercules, has robbed
us while we have been offering our sons
in sacrifice to him.
Out from the colleges this craze for
match games has issued until 1t has
reached every community in the land, to
the Generalization of labour and the
degrading of life among both whites and
blacks. One can not travel far on Satur-
days and holidays, at this season of the
year, without being jostled and annoyed
by teams" going or coming from some
match-game. Between towns they run
on the cars accompanied by bowling
hordes of their hackers, making railway
trains uncomfortable for all other pas
sengers. The work on the farms is
neglected, and every other serious task
is forgotten that these troops may go
to their games.
Back of all the prize fights and inter-
collegiate games and inter-town games
Is gambling and greed That Is the
passion which, although disguised and
denied, has entered into them and given
them such a hold upon the people.
They have brutalized, most surely, but
they have corrupted the youth of the
land even more by the gambling mania
which they have produced. 1t is the
which has caused the telegraph COM
panies to burden their wires with game
news, the newspapers to issue ball
game extras" and apologists Tor tho
games to rush to the defense of these
Things VIII enever the evils in them have
been pointed out. Take out or them
the "gate-money" and the gambling,
and the interest in them would Je
greatly diminished. The demoranZation
arising from the turf was never greater
than which now arises from these con-
tests of the college campus and the
ball field. Men and boys take the place
of the horses, but the betting is as live
ly as ever, and 1t prevails among a
much greater number of people. And
II must not be overlooked that this evil
contagion spreads among classes Of
people who never patronized the horse
race. Even some preachers are found
among the fans" and "rooters."
When all has been saIu that can be
justly allowed in extenuation OF these
things, 1t remains true that their whole
tendency is to promote brutality among
all classes OF people. We could scarce
ly devise a more ingenious and effective
propaganda of brutalizing forces than
are these sports that kill. They faint
the very atmosphere in which we live
by setting up animal ideals OF great
ness and pulling down all higher con-
ceptions of life. 1t is well to stop
the. moving pictures" of the two
brutes who pounded each other at Reno,
but let us not fail to stop the democrat
izing pictures of pseudo greatness
which til csc other things hold up before
our sons to the brutalizing of their in
stincts and the corruption Of their NOR
ais.
We stop the moving pictures for
fear of racial rows; but brutality would
issue in rows and disorder if, only one
race inhabited our country. A nation
can not sow the seeds Of brutalism
without reaping a harvest Of riot and
crime.
Let us, while our minds are on the
subject, go to the bottom OF the rrou-
BILE and pluck it up by the roots. Half
way measures are worth little. Stop
ping a few cheap shows will not suf-
fee We must dethrone Hercules, ana
return from our idolatry to worship the
true God. Brain and morals must be
put above Drawn and muscle. First
things must be first. When they are
displaced by second things, and
by positively bad things, confusion
of all moral values comes to pass.
Then men fall to "debasing the moral
currency" by calling evil good and by
calling good evil. When that comes TO
pass we approach the abyss of nation
al destruction.