New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
ATHLETIC EVIL
OF BIG COLLEGES
is PROSECUTING
Oak Park Professor Makes Plea
for Clean Sports-Sug-
gests Rules

"Ihe ways and means of PROSECUTING
are past finding out. 1t is almost i'm
possible to get any direct proof on the
matter, because neither the proselytes
nor the proselyter will talk Of the mat
ter" NJ. r. Mcdaniel, of Oak Park
High School, of Oak Park, ILL.,, made
this statement in speech deplorlng
the evil which college men the country
over agree must be stamped out.
Mr.. Mcdaniel declared that much
could be done by the masters of sec
ondary schools to correct the evil. lie
declared that the secondary schools mad
the boys at the most impressionable
age. when high ideals may be formed
and the principles of real sportsman
ship inculcated The matter, he said,
resolved itself into a question Of preach
ing what was thought and practising
what was preached on the subject IL
proselyting be shown to the boys in its
true light, if it can be shown that II
amounts TO nothing more than bribery,
Mr.. Mcdaniel believes that much good
, will be worked.
The one-year residence rule in force
at many colleges has done much good
but rules alone will not be enough.
firm conviction that PROSECUTING is not
evil must be established.
In lecturing on the subject Mr. Nc
Daniel said in part:
The ways and means Of proselytlng
are many and past finding out. IL is al.
most impossible to get any direct PROOF
about the matter, because neither
proselytes nor proselyters are much
given to proclaiming the practice from
the housetops. Notwithstanding TINS
dearth of evidence, somehow we are an
convinced beyond a reasonable doubt
that the practice does exist
Jobs Even Created
Sometimes the business men OF
college town subscribe money TO pay
the expenses of enough athletes TO IN
sure winning team, for the team ana
spectators that win usually nave more
spending money than has the losing
side.
"For these athletes jobs are obtained
or created. Most of these Jobs are
merely slnecures. For example, one
who is sufficiently athletic TO ring the
chapel bell can earn all of has expenses
and some Christmas money IN addition
by performing this service. Or one
NAV NOW the campus lawn from the
time the football season closes until
time 10 begin baseball practice in the
spring, and thereby earn enough to last
the remainder of the season.
"These things are hard to prove, but
sometimes one stumbles onto the facts
in such a way as 10 dlspel all doubt
| know of one boy who, after receiving
tempting offers from three different
colleges. accepted a more hattering one
-
received all expenses and 500 a year
for four years. Still another received
all expenses and $500 a year Some Of
my own boys have received tempting
offers, chiefly from academies and prl-
yate secondary schools of the Middle
West. One of the boys, a baseball
pitcher, was approached many times
and was offered something more than
expenses.
"The freshman rule has done much
TO abate the evil Of PROSECUTING, and
would do much more If observed by all
the colleges. The small institutions no
doubt feel that the observance of the
rule would injure their chances of sue
cess. No doubt it would lessen tempo
rarily their chances of success if by
success we mean victory. The loss In
even that respect, however, would be
only temporary. | would strongly rec
ommend that schools observing the rule
refuse to play those that do not.
DisfayOrs Freshman Rule
81 would not favor the freshman rule
if it kept freshmen out OF athletics,
hut it does not; on the other hand
many more of them take part than
would without the rule.
"Proselyting never can be eliminated
by rules alone. Rules will help, but
there must be developed in the minds
of all concerned a conviction that
proselyting is not clean sportsmanship
that it is an evil which must be elm
mated. Until PROSECUTING and some
other evils are corrected we can expect
to have many more indictments OF IN
tercollegiste athletics.
much of the work Of developing a
proper attitude can be done by the sec
ondary schools. We have the boys at
the most plastic and impressionsble age,
when il is easy TO develop ideas and
ideals of clean sportsmanshlp. We are
TOO apt TO think that athletics are not
real part of our educational system,
and also TO think that while young peo-
ME should be honorable In other
things, it is too much TO expect them
to be square in athletics.
.--
Horses for Chinn Farm