The Sculling Championship

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 83, 22 December 1887, Page 4

The Sculling Championship

Tai Sydney Mail has the following regarding the Kemp-Beach scandal: — "No one could listen to the very warm reception given to Hanlan on Thursday evening without coming to tht conclusion that Ned Hanlan is back in their hearts—forgiven all indiscretions, errors of judgment, sins of omission, and alleged uncharitable-, nee*. Whether all the people, or a majority of the people, are so favorable as those assembled at this meeting, is a question too hard for me to guess the correct answer to. However, Hanlan is to a great extent reinstated in popular favour, and he must guide his steps, else he will fall, perhaps never to regain his now exalted position. Beach's policy is certainly not so strong as his arm. In handing over to Kemp the championship, or, in other words, forfeiting the title to him when challenged, it has not been done so well as it should have been. How Kemp became the first challenger does not matter much; the fact remains; but it is a very general opinion that a better way would have been to find by trial who was the next best man, and then to accept or decline his challenge, Kemp may prove to be an eligible man, but the public who take a deep interest in the matter are full of doubts about it. The title of championship is regarded as public property held in trust for the time being bv the man who proves his undeniable claim to it. No man has the power to sell it, nor has he the right to dispose of it by deed of gift. It is a tangible office of profit that can only be held by winning battles, or be lost by defeat, or declining contests. Beach has declined to compete, and the want of policy is that he made it known that he would not accept any more challenges. Had he kept this decision to himself no one could have been justified in saying the title had been "jumped," and no one could have complained. Already many folks are "rending their garments" as Solomon did, before the dreadful calamity has happened. The championship of the world has not yet left us, and may not. Who can with certainty say that Beach’s retirement causes a chasm in our acouatic world ? We have Kemp, Clifford, Trickett, and Matterson to oppose Hanlan, and such other noted scullers as may visit Australia. Something must be known of the former to those backers who are willing to stand to their man. They do not tell us all they know, nor can they be expected to do so; and when we look back three yean ond recall the first great triumph of Beach, we should be prepared to accept our fate, having a lively hope for the future. Clifford, too, showed about the same time that he only wanted experience to make him a really good oarsman. If he has since improved he must be very nearly our best man. Perhaps, he is our nest, and I have no fear that our beet will be no unequal rival for all comers to try. There are many who believe Trickett rowed Beach as hard as Hanlan did. Perhaps, after all, we have a surplus of champions instead of a dearth

Another Sydney paper says;— Beach’s off-hand handing over of the sculling championship to his "old friend, Peter Kemp," is nothing, if the championship had been a portable article—which it isn't any more than the Premiership. William might just as well have handed it over to his last born, or his grandmother, or his bullpup, for all tne claim Kemp holds to it The "handing over" will be looked upon as a huge joke by the sculling world. Hanlan, Teemer, Gaudaur, Bubear, Trickett, and we do not know how many more Mullen can, in all human probability, beat Peter Kemp, so that it would appear that Australia, after holding so many yean a prominent place in the world’s aquatics, is at last without a sculler capable of making a bid for the championship. However sincere Beach may be at the present time in his stated intention to retire from the racingtrack we wouldn't mind taking a shade of odds that we have not seen the last of him in a racing-shell. Hanlan, of course, holds up to ridicule the idea of any race ho may row with Kemp or Clifford, having the Championship included In the articles, but says he is ready to row either or both for £BOO a side. Both Kemp and Clifford have been compelled by the force of public opinion to signify assent,