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CANADIAN CLERGYMANS SENSIBLE VIEWS. Interesting Description by Toronto Divine of His Experience at Woodbine Races. Canadii. like tlp mother coiintiv. whoiv racing Hunrisln-s nndor royal patronage, i-. blessed with a liberal ami brondinindid clergy, if ilw following tetter from tin- pen of Hev. J. M. Wilkinson, a prominent Toronto divine, which appeare l In a revest Issue of the Toronto World, mav lie accented as a criterion: "AetfcM on the conviction that no speaker or Writer can consistently approve or condemn what he lias not seen or what he knows nothing about, and acting on the suggestion of the editor-in-chief, we graciously accepted a pass to the races to see the gical event of the opening day. the contest for the routed prize of turfmen, the Kings Plate. The pass entitled the fodder to all club privileges. ami we made good use of it sorry afterwards when returning with a keen appetite that we hadnt used it at the lunch eounteri. "As we are not writing this for competition, to win one of the handsome shields given by the Board of Education to successful publio school candidates, hut merely for your delectation Vi. gentle reader. let us be free to say what we like and say it how wc please. To this end. pardon the use of the first person, singular, during the rest of the discussion. ••.Somewhat prejudiced against the whole business all my life, because of Its gambling associations. I went with keen open eyes to see all the bad 1 could, without ever thinking of anything praise worthy lielng found at a race track. "Can any good come out of Nazareth. really V For this purpose 1 provided myself with two sheets of paper — a small one with this heading: tiood features, if any. at the . J. O. meet — What is licneticial to the human race and in the Interests of civilization —a large shiet with this headline: The evils of liorse racing Whal is destructive to morals and should be Stopped by legal enactment. •If I had the span- 1 would like to elaborate and enumerate all the good ami bad effects of this great social event of the year in Toronto, and may we not agree and say of the Dominion? "Entering by the members gate, the first place I visiled was the paddock--an enclosure I had never ban in before. It was crowded with well-dressed gentlemen, nearly all wearing tall bats. My first surprise was recognition. I thought no one would know me there, however much I would he reeognized in the •ring." but to my surprise I was spotted before I had been there two minutes. I expected to see a hit of "old sports. horsemen anil plate breeder*. There may have been many of that kind, but I Raw others whom the public would not regard, as sports. The first man that shooi; hands witli me was not of that class — he Is a merchant in the city, though a member of the Jockey Cluli fir a score of years. And there were others I knew, representing different walks and callings m life, wlio mingled with their feUows. •Fearing that some who did not know me might think I was a spy and misinterpret my mission. I peased into the other enclosure, where the king, in ilie person of Lis noble representative, fraternized with his subjects, and here was another and greater surprise in store. Not lioing dressed for the occasion 1 hesitated aa the threshold, but Msaaassarisc the lahjrrl of my visit I swallowed my pride and sailed in. Such a display of heauty. rare beautv. beasts of face sad feature and form, as well as heauty of adornment and dress 1 have seldom seen ill Toronto, or. for that matter, anywhere else. 1 doubt if the Dominion outside of this fair city could furnish its eipial. and if not Canada, surely no place else. "And not only was it a beauty show, but many of Canadas leading citizens were there for whom honor had won renown and fame had blown belli unipof. Judges, members of parliament, lawyers. hading merchants and eyen clergymen mingled witli the multitudes of the intelligent and fashionable people of this fair Dominion. ■Tassing from the niemliors enclosure to that of the patrons of the play, those who pay the one .-nil a half to see the apart and enjoy the ehilara lion: again was 1 surprised at the retined character of the people who occupied the grandstand or mingled with the throng on the green sward. A jolly crowd it was. but a more asset and orderly and refined multitude of people I never saw at a holiday gathering. There was, indeed, laughter and hurrahs as their favorite horse approached the winning post, hut it was the kind that exhilarates anl gives zest to the festive occasion. There was nothing that would offend the most sensitive observer. Anything less would be out of harmony with the glad surroundings and would show a lack of interest in the days program. ••Summing up these observations. I am forced to admit that no annual event in Toronto is associated with so much lieattty and wealth and refinement as was this meet of the Ontario Jockey Club and none so free from the unpleasant associations that too trenucntly force themselves upon the sensibilities of respectable people and the directors are to be con-- gratulated for this more than for the greatness of the gate receipts or the excellent ■port provided. "A word about the jockeys and their treatment of the horses. Whatever was true of the past history of race tracks, there was a complete absence of the inhuman treatment of pear dumb animals that I have heard and read so much alsiut. This was a pleasing disappointment to me. The horses seemed to want to go — it was to their manner liorn. Willi the exception of the last hundred yards there was no urging, apparently. I have seen more •whipping in one hour at a country fair than would be seen during a whole weeks sport at the Woodbine. People show their ignorance of the history of the turf or the quality of thoroughbreds who talk such twaddle."
