The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-10-14

A few days ago an article appeared |
on this page on the difference be-
tween sports" and "sportsmen."
The Crossroads of the Pacific in its
current issue handles the same sub
ject ably, though from a different an
gle. The article in the Crossroads
follows:
In the daily newspapers of Honolulu
as in those of other cities the press
of which aspires to be up to date, coll
umns and columns are devoted to
Sports The courts, the waterfront,
the daily happenings of the street,
are covered" by reporters. But so
important is sports" considered that
the man on each of the daily papers
who looks after athletic events and in
forms the public concerning what is
going on in that line is dubbed the
sporting editor" To considerable
element of the community, at least,
he is the most important man on the
newspaper. 1t is to his page that
many enthusiasts turn before they
have even glanced at the glazing head
lines of the first page His approval
or disapproval is more important than
the dictates of conscience.
With all this interest taken in sports
it is particularly unfortunate that Ho
noluu has so many sports" and 50
few sportsmen. Athletic sports are
commonly supposed and intended to
do more than merely to develop the
muscles and coordination of a few
athletes and interest and amuse the
many. 1t is common superstition that
athletics breeds in the participants
and those who watch their strenuous
eudeayors sense Of justice and fair
play and an adherence of anything
that resembles trickery, deceit or dis
honesty.
And this is to a certain extent true.
But, so far as Honolulu is concerned,
anyway, it falls far short of being as
true as it should be.
A history of sports" in Honolulu IS
to a large extent a rather disgusting
story of rowdyism, hoodlumism, dis.
honesty, unfairness and trickery
Horse racing was killed in Honolulu
because it developed that the game
was not on the square, that the own,
ers and riders were too often out for
the money and out to get it in any
way possible. Horses were dOped
jockeys were bribed, the game was in
the hands of a gang Of disreputabe
touts and moral parasites. The result
was inevitable
The same thing is to a large extent
true of pugilism. In itself a game
which, if not approved Of by all, Ger
tainly is mans game and capable Of
being conducted on the square, it is II
bad odor in Honolulu, as in Othel
places, because of the suspicion tina
has all the force of a conviction, tina
NOllllltll ttIlNNlg low VI TIC bOuNo DullNN
off here have been on the square
Those on the inside have made none!
by knowing in advance-and guiltily-
which man was to be declared the vic
tor.
The faint touches oven the A. A. U
the organization that is supposed t,
have as it's chief object the keeping o
athletics free from crookedness ant
from the stigma Of being made (
money-making scheme. Not that any
thing has developed here that indi
Gates that the organization itself il
at all cognizant of rottenness within
itself. But newspaper accounts dur
ing the past week have told how on,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
the torpedo station wharf near For
Armstrong was started yesterday by
the Hawaiian Dredging Company.