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NEED FOR THOROUGHBRED +• TROTTING AUTHORITY GIVES BREED CREDIT J. FOR GREAT USEFULNESS. d Concedes That Breeders of the Thoroughbred Have i Done Much to Improve the Equine Race and i That Racing- Is Necessaiy to Perpetuate. : J Ordinarily t ho editors f publications devoted to v trotting arc not favorably disposed towards the | thoroughbred horse. Indrew G. Leonard, a dla | i nguisbed authority oa the trotter aad editor of , the Trot ting Beeurd, nrruis to »• aa exception, for | iii arritea in the fallowing refreshing strata: Breeders "i thoroughbreds ..ml all who are in terestcd in the upon • •! racing this type of borne ] i are jubilant over the recenl decision of Hit- Appcl- ] late division hi tin- Supreme Court in Sew York -thai oral betting was aol unlawful, and well th.. s naj be. for this rating is the tir-t raj of snnshiue that baa beta seen since the passage of the Hart i Agaew bill, a law w lit.ii stmek a death blow in i tin- great snort and crippled an extensive Industry. I There i- now every probability thai t lie decision 1 • t I in- lower court will Ik* confirmed, in which event Belmont Park, Saratoga and possibly one or two other race courses will again in- opened to the pah in- ami i- more wii! be beard the hoof beats of I lite Ihoronghlwed and again the breediag Indnstry of the blood inline will be continued on an extensive scale. ] ■•iii. adsairers of the light baraess hmse. while | iiiev are net vitally interested in the proapecl ol racing again being :i fixture over the Jockey Club tracks, will, if tiny have h spark of sportsmanship, rejoice thai the many breeders of thoroughbreds throughout iii country are to a_ain tad encouragement in iii.- production r this superb type of horse, ami that thousands of men and women who sincerely admire the thoroughbred ami enjoy wltaeastag a . lutest between fields of courageous, fleet and ihkI look lag Bteeds, can again gratify their tastes in tin- direction. Whatever may 1m- -aid of the evils thai in the past infested the ~jk«i-i of raring the thoroughhred. the racl remains that as ■ sport ir has ■ tirni place in the affections of the American people and thai the thoroughbred a" a type is more nearly iierfect than tny other breed. •The passage of the Hart Agnew bill was a great misfortune, not only because ii brought disaster to , many well meaning men, deprived thousands of aa , li -st 1 i el bond, pr bihited many more thousands i from enjoying theii favorite pastiaae. and curtailed I the production of a type of horse thai Is greatly needed in improving other breeds, and at this time . i- absolutely essential for the needs of the Govern-meat, but because it aimed at the liberties of the . citlsena of this republic, not because it prohibited •citing, inn on account of the clause which made . •ductals of race courses directly liable for any violation of the law thai might lake place on the property of the associations ever which Ihej presided. I niler the wording of Hiis law the president of au , association could be held personally liable ;• an , oral tut were made between two of the spectat • ;-. m a h.ii or a sum of money no matte1 how smi II. oa any proposition whatsoever from the race it-.-if [ to future weather conditions. The directors ol II . associations comprising the Jockey Club had no desire to evade the law nor were they willing t. sub-led themselves to ihe indignity and Inconvenience • ... betas: held liable fot the slightest infraction of r the statute, am! a* i consequence the Jockey club i Hacks were closed, racing was abandoned in the eaal and the breeders of ;lii- countrj lost millions - ol dollars through the destruction of their most im portaal market. "Everyone in the leasl familiar with the eondl tions thai prevailed knows full well that racing hi i liorowghbred in iiii- country lias always suffered at i the bands ol selfish nun. and It would bai • a ■be pari of aisdora bad these menaces to the s| t t t, in banished many years ago. it should also lie • remembered however that ra ing the thoroughbred j pave pleasure and afforded a means • ! recreation to thousands ol law-abiding cltlseos who keenly: enjoved I witnessing a -pon that lias ri w equals. The hied era "i thoroughbreds in this country have been and : .no engaged in a legitimate pursuit and anything .- that deprivei them of a ready market for their r products is contrary to the principles of our form i f r government. It ha- :■■ n sab . and with some degree of truth tli. n I et ting on 1 1 -t — « i.e.- has been t injurious i.i uu- bodj politic, bas proved a great i temptation to the youth el iiii-- country, has don much I.- breed crime, re| the passage if tie- Han Agnew nil did little to reform the morals of Ihe ■ world tor. while it eliminated betting on race !■ course*, it bj no means destroyed mini forms of r gambling which nstantlj took i it-- idaee of thai t which the fiancr- of tlii- law were pleased in con eider an Inequity. This acl of the Sew fork lagi-liiiiie weiu too far m attacking the personal liber lies .,; man.i in /en- ef Ibis country, and as ii ii.i - . iimi stood tin- fesl nt a trial in court ii must be ■.•.! mi|. -re. I anconstitutional. not alone becau* it Implied that oral liettinc was a crime but because it i placed the responsibility of an oven act wheic ii i did net belong. "Breeders " tin- thoroughbred have dom much to ., ii.,,,: .,.. i in i |uln v... I bej ha v.- In tin- i ounti v jt ami in England, for over a century and a hail, aimed ai the prodn ii";i •■ i tyn "t horsi poss _ speed, i ..ii. i-.. ■ iidura.ic. and soundness, and while ii, I, .i tyrs is wore useful fw racing purposes than i, for :i it v -tie I Is invaluable for everj purposi In ,, which riding Is Hie prime object. Hnndreds of thou i -nnds i.f in !. Winn, ii ami cbihlren find health and .1 i. -i nation in riding, and in. Id 1 i- to 1" found that i ... nearly iii.- il; requirements for this purpos :•- n : 1 ■ ; 1 1 ef ihe thoroughbred. Ihe lnited Stair- G v ernmeat i- :|i his nue norelj In need ••! remounts - I, ,,11, !.,-, ih. cavalrj branch ef the service and for .r ii- mounted Infantry, and ii i- the opinion of those «■ ,»..i qualified to judge thai thoroughbred blood In ii , rtain qnenfitl - Is absolute! essential in the ► production of cavalrj remounts. In Ku-sia. Austria, i. Italy, France ami England th .:ali :- well !! mounted and invariahl bene countries nse a strong p Hfusiou of Ihoroughbred Id •» 1 In h ceding borses • ..i government pnrpo es. It is not a qnestl if .I eompnrison between thoroughbred and tn • other ■r breeds for each has n- uses, yet it i- a known fact thai without ihe thoroughbred any country ud: II iin, I ,i ni:|,.,- i Ii to produce a type of horse suit i- able, for i he army. ••Racing is the backbone of the thoroughbred In i ilnstry. fot without it there is no Incentli breeders to produce this type ..f horse. Racing U elevates tke standard of excellence, ii se|iarates h-wheat i~. from the chaff, and it furalsbes an Inccn , tive iii produce a tyi»e possessing soundness, hidi ridual excellence, strength, constitution and speed. Wiihoiii racing, the tb«iroughbred horse of this roun , i iv would deteriorate ii t" an absolutely useless anl ; m.il and evei inalh would i» eliminated, and the i. -nil of this would be a deterioration of e-verj bre d ,; Intended for -addle purposes. Racing when properly v conducted Is a legitimate sport ami while much ma-, v be saiii , wai of criticism of tin methods pursued I m the past l.v Hies, in ebarge of It, fully a- utiKb n ,.,,, be -.ii.i in all Iu-ti-e of the sportsmanship thai U has been evinced by the besl representatives ,.f its is followers. Managers ol trotting meetings can stndj li with gaod effect the discipline that prevnils en a a well rcgutal ■■! running track ami ihe rules of racial as liny are wrftten are raallj -n|o i i.»c to thus which control the p.rt i.f racing tke light harness hone ____________
