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BEFORMERS AROUSING STURDY OPPOSITION Formation of Personal Liberty League in New York Likely to Affect Politics PoliticsNew New York June 22 Mr Thomas Hitchcock Jr who lived a number of years abroad and who re ¬ turned only a short lime ago from a stay of a couple of mouths in England said a few days ago at Gravesend in discussing the repeal of thu Percy Gray law lawI I have been struck with the foreef illness and ap ¬ propriateness of the remarks of General Stephen Sanford of Amsterdam N Y who when inter ¬ viewed last winter on the racing situation gave it as his opinion that the boasted freedom of this country was becoming a thing of the past His comment on France as the country which he liked best because of the personal liberty which was en ¬ joyed by its people would be endorsed by all wli have spent any length of time In that country and have observed the contented condition of all classes classesThe The curtailment of the privileges of any nation means a deterioration of citizenship and 1 am not alone in the opinion that the drastic wave of pro ¬ hibition of various kinds which has been sweeping the United States for the past two years will result in a tremendous uprising which will manifest itself at the polls if not next November before another year has passed Already there is a great revul ¬ sion of feeling in this state against those who have taken away the living of thousands of men and practically conliscated millions of dollars worth of property I refer to the great sport of racing There is no more astute politician in this state to day than Louis F Payu of Chatham Mr Payn has his finger on the political pulse and hia years of service and wide acquaintance with the politician and others throughout the state have made him a competent authority in matters of this kind He says that the attempted destruction of racing will cost the republican parly i hundred thousand votes next fall It will cost tliem more than that if the countless thousands of voters in this state whose rights are being menaced will stand shoulder to shoulder and assert themselves as free men should shouldThe The time is ripe for the formation of Personal Liberty Leagues throughout this country but morei especially in this great Empire State Not only rac ¬ ing men but others would eagerly enroll themselves in such organizations The man of wealth with hia large stable ot horses and his natural fondness for the sport of racing is one voter but he has in hist employ perhaps scores of men who have fathers brothers sons and other relations and so the endless chain of voters would extend throughout the state to the farmer and agriculturist who has In the past enjoyed to the utmost the few days of sport with the trotters and pacers at the county fairs There are thousands without the means of owning a stable of race horses or even a single thoroughbred but who have a natural liking for the sport and who believe that they should be permitted to do what they wish with their surplus who would eagerly join in anyi movement to resent the curtailment of their natural privileges Allied with these would be the myriads who do not believe in prohibition except aa a medium for the promotion of hypocrisy and thus a great army of voters would be enrolled under one banner and they would like the Irish party in the English parliament hold the balance of power and have to be reckoned with on election day dayIt It would be necessary for the success of such a movement as I have mentioned to secure the very best possible men for the heads of this organiza ¬ tion General Stephen Sanford would be an ideal leader and if approached would no doubt accept the place His name would be a tower of strength In a movement of this kind as he has always given of his vast wealth generously to the promotion oC racing and to the breeding of not only thorough ¬ breds but horses and cattle of all kinds Year after year he has furnished the thousands of persons in the vicinity of his Hurricana Farm with a day of splendid sport at Amsterdam when the best of his thoroughbreds sported silk and raced as earnestly for ribbons as they ever did for the big stakes and purses on the race tracks of the Jockey Club ClubAll All that this Personal Liberty League needs is a proper launching and I have noticed already on the race tracks and occasionally on the streets of New York that many men are wearing small but ¬ tons with the emblem of liberty thereon which shows that the work has already begun That it will prosper and continue until we shall have once more come into our own is my firm belief beliefNo No One believes in indiscriminate gambling concluded Mr Hitchcock but the efforts of the well meaning reformers have gone beyond reason and they will not succeed in effecting their pur ¬ pose but will create resentment in the minds of the people at large who believe that they are en ¬ titled to a certain amount of personal liberty under the constitution of this great country Gambling is not wicked in itself it is foolish but it has existed and does exist in every civilized country Experi ¬ ence has proved that it can be regulated but not suppressed
