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GREAT AMERICANS WHO FAVQRED RACING In talking nl out racing and the recent Intemperate agitation against it bf politicians for political pur ¬ poses and reformers for mistakenly sentimental ones a member of the Jockey Club said a day or two ago agoIn In these days It seqms to be assumed by certain person that an aloofness at least If not positive hostility to racing and all Its allied interests was an aid to preferment to high places And that this is so the recent conference attempted In New York by General Woodford in behalf of Governor Hughes may be cited He thought It would aid the gover ¬ nor as a candidate for the presidency if he succeeded in wiping out the sport Well if this is so times have changed for a surety and with them men menTwo Two of our presidents were devotees of racing Washington owned and raced thoroughbreds and at one meeting at least he officiated as steward Ulysses S Grant also yielded to no man In his love for the thoroughbred It might not be strictly the fact to say that he was an actual owner ot some horses that raced but it certainly Is a fact that he was always a patron of tlie sport and not only attended the races but also whenever It was pos slblu spent Ihe weekend with his lifelong friend Governor Brown of Maryland going every day to the training track and spending hours watching the work of the horses At that time John Hyland was trainer for Governor Brown and the may tell you what an admirer of the thoroughbred race horse President Grant was wasThomas Thomas Jefferson Andrew Jackson General Wade Hampfon Henry Clay Governor Butler of South Carolina these are but a few of the men illustrious in public as well as in private life who raced horses and bred horses and did all possible to encourage the sport both for the pleasure it afforded and for the benefit of agriculture and the horse pro ¬ duct which they knew it to be and nobody will say that their citizenship and their standing was below normal normalKacing Kacing dates back in this country to the very pioneer days when men were rugged in their honesty and In their ideals and when they pursued life liberty and IiappinOss in manly fashion when tliey minded their own business You will find In Ban ¬ crofts history that as far back as lf 3G to improve the thoroughbred was an early object of pride favored by legislation and that speed was especially valued
