724 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



them may apply on other grounds, but not as corollaries of "excellence 

 of achievement." Some of them do not apply at all ; viz., robbing 

 them of half their value — III. " By reducing the number of active com- 

 petitors " ; IV. " H>/ relying upon natural resources rather than upon 

 cultivated material ^^ ; V. " By depriving the non-athletic class of every 

 incentive to physical exertion.'* 



"Ill" is disproved by the fact (only necessary to be mentioned in 

 order to be^ admitted) that the number of active competitors has in- 

 creased so much, especially in the colleges, that instead of contests be- 

 tween a few clubs in one large association, the contests are now be- 

 tween many clubs in many associations. 



" IV " has already been noticed, but the question might be raised 

 whether it were possible to look for material from any other than 

 " natural resources." If it were, does not " IV " conflict with " II," in 

 ■which "making excellence in achievement the primary object of ath- 

 letics " is said to " rob them of half their value " " by increasing the 

 time devoted to practice " ? 



" V " is not true, as the non-athletic class is continually being stimu- 

 lated to exercise by the example of the athletic class, a fact on which 

 I have already commented. 



The objections of expense and time I have considered elsewhere,* 

 but will assert here that, in these respects, athletics merely keep pace 

 with other undertakings of modern times. More money is spent upon 

 education than formerly. More money goes to gymnasiums. There is 

 more money in the land. Success as well as failure costs more. But 

 we are getting better results. "VVe are inducing more people to exer- 

 cise. The increased cost is due to the better results. Like every other 

 good, exercise costs something. The real question is, whether the re- 

 sults are worth the cost. I think they are. I maintain that the saving 

 to the health and morals of our young men all over the land is worth 

 the whole cost of their athletic organizations. 



As to time, it is undoubtedly true that some young men spend 

 too much time in athletic exercises, but the majority of them do not 

 do so. They spend no more time than is good for them, at a period 

 of their lives when they are laying up physical capital. And the fact 

 that, to be well prepared for contests, successful athletes have to keep 

 in training the greater portion of the year, instead of during a small 

 part of it, as formerly, is one of the best features of the present system 

 of athletics. It gives them healthy occupation for their leisure mo- 

 ments, and enforces habits of good living all the year, instead of for 

 a few months. 



To "VI " I have very little to say, except to express a more hope- 

 ful spirit with regard to the future of " all competitive sports which 

 bring men into personal contact." Putting boxing out of the list, it 

 seems to me that young men interested in the other sports are in a 

 * "Popular Science Monthly," March, 1884. 



