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Here and There on the Turf The Professional Reformer. A Constant Menace. Enemies of Sport. How to Combat Them. A certain professional reformer is at present on trial in New York City on charges involving, many alleged financial irregularities. This fact is mentioned in this column, not because this particular reformers meddling has anything to do with racing but because his methods are representative of his class. This individual has made all sorts of damaging admissions on the witness stand. He has! admitted a number of rapacious and mercenary transactions quite foreign to the sanctimonious and self-sacrificing attitude which all of these meddlers assume for tb.3 purpose of deceiving their dupes. In these attributes this particular reformer docs not differ in any degree from the thousands of others in his obnoxious profcssion. He does differ in the particular that he has been caught and forced to admit publicly the facts of the case. The character of these professional reformers is a matter of rathsr general knowledge. The success of their activities in many directions has been due, not to any real merit in their ridiculous schemes, but rather to the fact that they have organized an aggressive and fanatical minority for ihz purpose of imposing then will upon an unorganized majority. People who have the best interests of racing at heart will do .well to watch these professional reformers closely at all times. No feeling of false security should prevent the person who wishes to protect his favorite sport from recognizing in the activities of these hypocritical fanatics an ever present menace to the turf. These cranks have been able already to transform to a great extent a great demoncracy into a crankocracy, adding a new and pernicious form of government to the record. They were able to do this because a majority of the citizens of a self governing nation laughed at their activities instead of fighting them. Liberal-minded people have acquired a habit of minding their own business, a commendable practice certainly, but they have made the mistake in the past of crediting others with fol lowing a similar method. How great was their mistake in this respect was forcibly brought home to these liberal-minded people when they awoke to the fact that professional meddlers had succeeded in forcing through legislative channels pernicious legislation of various sorts inimical to the fundamental principles of democratic government. Now these people of liberal .tendencies can have no excuse if they allow the professional reformers to make any further advances. They have learned their lesson, they know now that only eternal vigilance can protect the liberties of the individual, which were erroneously, it Eccms, thought to be embodied in the constitution. When one of these sanctimonious, psalm-singing hypocrites states on the witness stand that he could see no wrong in forcing a collector of funds to share his commissions with tho head of the organization for which he was soliciting money, the exact status of meddling as a profession is revealed. The professional reformer is in a position to make money in great quantities without earning it and, as a j general thing, he is in no particular danger of paying the penalty. A holdup man, a burgler or a stock swindler makes money without earning it at times, but he is answerable to the law. As long -as there is a strong minority in the country with fanatical bigoted views on everything in general there will be a fertile ground for the unscrupulous professional reformer. There is nothing that appeals quite so strongly to a bigot as an opportunity to enforce his perverted views on the more liberal people of his community. He cannot find any enjoyment in anything himself and he will pay liberally to prevent anyone else from enjoying himself. Racing is a great sport and through its valuable work in helping to improve the breed of horses it serves to assist greatly in national defense. The great war showed that no form of motor transport can replace the horse satisfactorily in many branches of military operations. The value of the thoroughbred sire in the breeding of the all-purpose horse has been so generally recognized that the American Remount Association is maintaining hundreds of these stallions in various parts of the country. All this means nothing to the professional foe of racing. He will use every effort to destroy a great sport because he does not want anyone to enjoy what he cannot enjoy himself. Racing at present enjoys great prosperity. There does not seem to be any particular threat against its continuance. But if this position is to be maintained the friends of racing must be ever on the alert. The moment that the slimy head of the professional bigot is raised .against the sport in any part of the country every friend of the turf should assist in fighting against these attacks. The office holder who through his votes indicates that he is in sympathy with the re- formers should be voted out of office at the next election. The only way in which the enemies of restrictive legislation can prevent further encroachments on their rights is to take every opportunity that is offered to vote against a legislator who has proved himself a flexible tool in the hands of the reform element. Every legislative act which aims at further restriction of the rights of the individual is a menace and, if these reform activities arc not curbed, every sport in the country may be threatened at some time in the not so distant future. 6
