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VIEWS OF A KENTUCKY BREEDER rJiiiiments to the tnrf literature of the day Tlii miestion of the extinction of the bust Mood fr til thoroughbred in the United States is of so n it importance lo the whole nation that it Is iiV for serious consideration In view of the con iiiinofl irissage of Jaws eacli year for the last five or Liv vears n different states of this Union whom rnrin nourished Iwth in winter and summer aud w tii such laws remaining upon the statute books iiu miestion may be answerod in no uncertain way till thoroughbred must go The records of the regis MI ion of foals tell the sad story When any an iiiontlc record bears witness of any valuable and ii7riKlied species of live stock decreasing over one iMf within two or three years the situation grown riniii Iii the breeding business like that of an the most vital snot is its base of mnnlh army ctViir Hiit a mortal blow and ruin is the result rii liise of supiily of the breeding interests is its rLet bv striking racing a fatal blow and there Jl Mining the value of the thoroughbred to FO 2nitlv deteriorate the mortal blow was given breetl Tnr After this had IXKJH accoiiipHshed among tht to feel the blow after the breeder was the cavalry arm of the United States army and already protests have gone up from many army otlicers General Wood declaring that the situation was bor ¬ dering upon a public calamity The production of the larger species of quadrupeds is so slow that a serious shortage of a few years is not remedied in a quarter of a century This country has been import ¬ ing at great expense and breeding the thoroughbred for over one hundred years with racing nourishing with enthusiasm during the most of this time and especially within the last quarter of a century and yet there were only a little over five thousand foals reported over the whole of this vast country in the most prolific year Since then the havoc among the ranks of the breed has been alarming It is sail grevious and disgraceful that of all civilized gov ¬ ernments we stand alone in the dark condemning tjie only way to perpetuate the noblest of all einiino breeds the yeast that has leavened the loaf in the formation and improvement of all other breeds of horses How long will this nation hearken like those benighted fanatics who rallied to the banner of Peter the Hermit and who paid the price of their Ignorance with their lives They are already threatening the nation with the same dire calamity in the horse breeding Interests both thoroughbred and trotter The crusaders cry over this conntrv has been the extinction of gambling and the methods of race tracks Grant that they had some grounds for their complaints in both cases and horsemen have always agreed with them in some of these com ¬ plaints yet should we as a nation destroy the breed ing industry that is of so much Importance simply to destroy this octopus when legislation can so effectively curtail both evils Horsemen all over the land would gladly cooperate with the lawmakers in the enactment of laws wise conservative and just that would save the horse and place racing upon a respectable permanent and independent basis in every state in this country Horsemen have deplored as much as the public the greed of racing associa ¬ tions In the past and few of them have had any re ¬ spect for the men engaged in the sport simply for gambling purposes as these wer6 not horsemen but used the horse as a vehicle for their own speculative tendencies The true lover of the thoroughbred rarely wagered considerable sums and when he did it was in pride and confidence in the supreme prowess of some horse that had gained his admira ¬ tion by his fleetness and courage Of courageOf all the states of the union Kentucky stands first and Maryland hut little behind her in keep ¬ ing afloat the banner that kings are proud to serve under Through all the trials and vicissitudes of thoroughbred fortunes to the eternal honor of these two southern states may all fairminded sport loving men gives thanks that at least two states of this great nnion have not been affected with the blight of bigotry but have pursued the even tenor of conservative approval Place racing upon an in ¬ dependent and legal basis rid it of the fear of the power and vindlctiveness of the politician and we can and will show the world that we have not lost the breed of noble sportsmen We can show that the turf will be ruled with justice and impartiality both to millionaire and the mass of horsemen and the public Under a quasi tolerance that governed racing in many states in years past all race tracks were at the mercy of the grafter and that meant the powerful politician As soon as some dishonor ¬ able owner was punished and always justly so by the ruling body he sought this same politician secured his services and then demanded reinstate ¬ ment This meant for the race track either of two dilemmas to reinstate and get the condemnation of horsemen and the public or refuse and a fight before the legislature of that state for its existence It is easy to see which course they would pursue I know this to be the fact in many cases Any fairminded man knows that such a state of affairs brings calamity eventually Racing like all public institutions needs regulation and limitation hut why extinction The uncompromising destroyer claims that it is demoralizing Presidents Washing ¬ ton Jefferson and Jackson in their day were votaries of the sport Did it demoralize them And it is even said that President Washington acted as a judge at some meetings and that each of them wagered on the results and yet they were con ¬ sidered pretty good citizens Do we breed better statesmen than they in this day of intolerance The only answer is a smile of regret This govern ¬ ment turned loose upon the people without regula ¬ tion a vast band of harpies in the shape of corpora ¬ tions and trusts without number to feed like the vultures upon the vitals of Prometheus upon the sweat and blood of every laborer In the land both of high and low degree and yet some of these high in the stock list of these corporations and stocks have lent financial aid to destroy a national pleasure and pastime at such timber Is a hypocrite hypocriteAfter After this nation and the states allowing these filchcrs of the peoples hard earnings to go un whipped of justice the socalled reformers raise a great hue and cry against racing and instigate legislative quacks to plunge the knife into the vitals of the peoples pastime and then with the affrontery of a servant that has earned his reward they go hack for the commendation of the voters The racing laws under the State Commissioners of Kentucky have been so wise and tolerant that racing is upon a firmer basis and a more nourishing condition than it has ever been in this state and why Because the public know that the officials are not afraid to enforce turf regulations which are rules of honor The whole world loves sport aud fair dealing merits its cwn reward The Ken ¬ tucky Legislature concluded wisely when they de ¬ creed that the bookmaker as an asset of racing was a menace and that he must go The pros ¬ perity of raciug in this state has sealed his fate In legalizing the sport of the world Kentucky placed the officials of racing out of the reach of the corruptor of its policies the much feared and unscrupulous politician and by so legalizing it they have placed It upon a basis of independence and honor both to itself and to the state stateIt It is a treat for anyone enjoying racing to wit ¬ ness the entrance of the GovernorGeneral of Canada upon the track with his outriders and suite as ihe representative of his sovereign thus placing upon racing the stamp of approval and dignity that is so essential to any important enterprise It was said that a deputation of spoil sports waited upon Earl Grey when he was GovernorGeneral and petitioned him to withhold his approval and lie informed them that any enterprise that had his sovereigns patron ¬ age should have his approval Contrast this spirit with that of the governors of most of our states and we suffer by the comparison One can readily under ¬ stand what causes the English sportsman to be re ¬ spected the world over when they are ruled by sov ¬ ereigns that compel respect by their manliness who are so broadgauged and patriotic that they are not only the first gentlemen of their nation but the first sportsmen as well When King Edward ied Persimmon Diamond Jubilee and Miuoru back to the paddock after their victories in the Derby he did so with uncovered head Thus the king of sports ¬ men paid homage to the king horse and all the world rejoiced with him in his triumphs The Amer ¬ ican sportsmen are as fine as any in any country and yet by the acts of the different states and the silent acquiescence of the National Government thev are seared with the brand of shame and published to the world in disgrace They were formerly wel ¬ comed among sportsmen everywhere and now we are told In foreign countries that we are persona non gratia and all because we have been driven like Ishmacl from our Fathers house houseHow How long my countrymen will this stigma be visited upon us and how much longer can the de ¬ voted few exist who still have confidence in the ulti ¬ mate good sense aud justice of the people We wit ¬ ness each year the sacrifice of yearlings that do not i bring the price of the grain that they consume The breeder cannot exist on sentiment alone and the tracks of Kentucky and Maryland cannot furnish racing enough to justify the maintenance of studs of any importance It is a divine spark that yet bids up hope that the American nation will repent the work of the vandals and will demand that such oppressive laws as are now upon the statute books in many states will be repealed and the enactment of sane and just and conservative laws legalizing regulating and limiting racing in such ways that the American sportsman can greet his fellow sports ¬ man the world over without shame for his country and that lie will not bo an exile from the land of his fathers if he desires to enjoy the sport that his spirit craves cravesLet Let us hope that our trust in our countrymen is not to be disappointed that the time is near at hand when the majority of the people will demand that the reforfher be whipped from the temple as It is not the fact that the majority of the people of this country think that they are their brothers keeper either in conscience or in pursuit of his fortune or pleasure
