New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-08

able farmers were unwilling to be seen atsucbplaees
Persons Of doubtful character gamblers, DULLES
and such dsreputable rabble notoriously made up
a majority Of the attendants At the present time
the farmers Of Queens are most determinedly ald
almost unanimously opposed to having the county
made the arena for the display OF those wees
which allure their sors to ruin, and which are the
certain Accomplishments Of the rsce-course. When
ever the races occur, the surrounding houses, out
buildings and by.paces are occupied By outside
gamblers, who fleece the farmers sons, and all
other young and inexperienced persons who can De
decoyed into their precincts, OF all the money Of
which the jockey inside had not previous!
stripped them Occasionally the Jockey-CIuD
will make pretense Of clearing the precincts oil
gamblers: but it is only pretense The people
that assemble there desire to gamble-and gam
blers always want victims.
Experience, too, shows the location OF race
course 10 be poisonous in It's influence upon all the
surrounding DeighbOrhood. 1t has proved eminent
II 80 in Queens County. Peaceable, respectable
farmers cannet live in comfort in such vicinity.
Their crops are trampled upon and destroyed with
impunity; their orchards and gardens invaded and
robbed, sometimes even in presence and defiance OF
their owner. And such is the desperate character
Of the persons whom race-cOurse congregate',
that few magistrates or officials dare to encounter
them. The quiet farmer must sell out II be can
find purchaser who Ielshes scenes OF turbulence,
and must move 10 some more peacable neighbor-
hood. Indeed, when the races occur, quiet people
dare not venture upon the great thOrOughfre toll
Civ because it is crowded from end to end, with
reckless violent desperate set Of persons, many Of
them intoxicated, driving their vehicles sofurously
that TO avoid collision with them is often very diff
cult, rs they are ready, either through sport or
malice, to dash against all persons who do not be-
long to the fancy.
The truth Of the matter ought TO be known. The
Legislature should not for a moment suppose that
the Queens County farmers, or any other consider
able portion Of the people there approve OF horse
racing, or, least Of all, wish race-course in the
midst of them Some few tavern-keepers may de-
sire it., for reasons not necessary to enumerdte.
Horse,jockeys, of course, find the race conve-
nient change to trade off upon the greenhorns
spayined, ring-boned and foundered horses; and
gamblers, robbers and pickpockets attain to their
harvest. But the people of Queens County con-
slider it nuisance, and except few, avoid 1t. IL
is the City of New-YOrk which furnishes the at
PENDANTS; and those who are strangers to Queens
County r, ap the benefit if any there be beyond the
plumber stripped from the few farmers sons and
the many New Workers who are decOyed to the
Iace-grOud
That the breed Of hOrses-such horses as are
reared for any useful purpOse-is improved by this
means is all stuff. Every one knows better Mr..
Senator Sickles may descant on the turf but the
fact is as we say Granting that the turf has done
good in improving breeds in England, it was at
time when the modern machinery of agricultural
shows. with all their manifold cumulative stimu-
lants was unknown. The improvement of fast
running horses 10 all that can be cOmpassed by our
race.courses But the fastest horse now is slow
alongside the locomotive, and his ancient use has
departed. Indispensable to the Arab, glorious to
look upon, with the civilized man his immense
value 10 longer exists. The spasmodic admiration
of the g 2Os in harness does not help the matter.
The gentleman's carragc-hOrse, the wagoner's or
drayman's draught-hOrse are neither affected IN
their beauty nor strength by the influences brought
to bear by the race-cOurse. And without 1t like
wise we have no fear of speed becoming obsolete.
Fast horses will turn up as fast as wanted, under
the immense improvements of breeds generally.
We trust therefore that the Legislature will
neither be Influenced by errors in newspaper
or the pleading Of Senator Sickles, but will at
this Session effectually prohibit horseracing in
Queens County, and indeed throughout the State;
and thereby entitle themselves to the thanks Of
every truly respectable citizen