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THE HESPERIAN
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monjy to have come from the pen of Chan
cellor Canfiold himself. That article I
recommend for perusal and study to every
oneMvho is interested in University athletics,
and without further parley I herald the fact
that I am ready to champion that article in
every respect saving one, and that is the
idea expressed in the last article, numbered
16, which 1 do not necessarily favor at this
juncture.
How Chancellor Canfiold evor conceived
of these ideas I do not know, for I do not
think that he has had a largo, amount of ex
perience in athletics, but they are there in
print as his suggestions. I strongly sus
pect that the Chancellor, while wo thought
he was not paying any particular attention
to these matters, has been studying them,
and has been looking into the methods in
vogue in other institutions.' I strongly sus
pect that his suggestions are not entirely
original with him. They are too perfect to
bo original with anybody, and 1 say that
Chancellor Canfield's ideas are essentially
the same as those adopted at the Univer
sity of Michigan.
Before I get to discussing the merits of
this proposed scheme lwant to dispose of
one matter, which I apprehend will be tho
feature meeting the most opposition at tho
hands of those who will not think favora
bly of these ideas, and that is the proposed
interference of tho faculty in athletics.
At Nebraska, as far as I know, the stud
ents have never been interfered with at all
in their athletic arrangements by the fac
ulty, and that seems strange, for in most
institutions it is quite the roverso. At Ne
braska, if the manager of a team wants to
take a trip to .Denver, for instance, he would
not think of asking permission of the fac
ulty, even if the trip was to be made on
school days. He takes it that permission is
granted as a matter of course, and that all
that is required of a student is to pass hie
examinations.
Now, because tho faculty has boon lenient
in the past is no reason why they may not
take the reins in their own hands in tho
future, as they have an unquestioned rjglit
to do. I do not sanction a course of action
in which wo go ahead blindly in a matter"
and then have to look askance to. see if'
there is a nod of approval from the fac-'
nlty, and in which, on tho other hand, wo
are compelled to ronouhco our contract' arid '
plead that it was ultra vires, if it chances
to meet with their disapproval. Such deal
ings bring upon us tho woll-dedorvod con
tempt of other colleges. "What wo want is
to have our faculty holpfnl and enthusias
tic in athletics. Wo want thorn in our coun
sels; we need thoir advico and co-operation,
and it is my experience that if faculty
and students work together, half of the trou
bles that ordinarily beset an athletic mim
agomont are dispensed with.
Some of tho pleasantest recollections of
my college course at Ann Arbor aro those
that ariso at tho thought of our athletic
meetings, when wo talked and discussed
matters of thd greatest interest to tho Uni- "
versity with certain members of the faculty.
It was then wo learned that tho interosts of
faculty and student aro almost always iden
tical, and in no instance, even after the
hottest debates, was tho voting done upon
what in politics aro called party lines.
Our past experience at Nebraska in ath
letic management can be of little service to
us. It can only show what must be shunned
and avoided. I pronounce it a sad com
montary upon our intelligence that wo should
have a board of fivs members select tho
players on a team. That is democracy, for
sooth. Whoever originated that scheme, in
the language of Mr. Nye, must have had
a prognathous jaw and tho low, retreating '
forehead of the pickerel. I do not believe
that there is another college in tho United
States whore the captain does not havet'he
sole power of selecting the team. As tor
myself, I beliovo in delegating power to a
man and looking to him for tho responsi
bility, and when that is done tho captain b
more likely to be tho best man for his po
sition than under thopresont system, if
the captain has this groat powor ho has its
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