Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-07-10
Shall the Fair Grounds Become a
Race C0ursef
To the Editors of the Union and American:

TO the Editors OF the Union and American:
This is the precise question that is in
volyed in a proposition from the Blood
Horse Association to the Tennessee Agri-
cultural and Mechanical Association, on
which the Agricultural Association is soon
to take vote. In view of that vote, de-
sire, as a member of the society to address
few words to myfellow members.
will not discuss any questions of form
or technicality, but assume that the object
CT this movement is understood, and that
is, TO engraft horse racing on the Agricul-
tural Society in such way as, in the lam
guage of one of its advocates, to make
horse racing respectable Now, 1 beg the
Agricultural Society to pause before they
give their sanction to such movement. /
viii not discuss the morality of horse rae
ing, but the most ardent advocate of it
must confess that there are certain accom-
paniments of it that are almost invariable,
such as gambling, drinking and the pres
ence Of sporting men and women. These
things present temptations to our young
men that are perilous, and from which we
wish to shield our children. @
If the Fair grounds become race course
these evils cannot be excluded and our
| families must be exposed to them to some
extent. 1 beg the members Of the Society
not to subject them to these perils. i ap-
peal to their sense of Justice. Is it fair to
use this property purchased in part by the
money of those who dread the race so
much-for purpose which they think so
wrong? Do you not know that we who think
| thus, would never have put dollar in the
stock of the Society had we dreamed of this
| perversion?, -aaA@sA
Have you a moral right to use our money
in this way? Grant that you cannot see
| with us in this way, have you right to
| change the fundamental conditions of our
| Association so as to sanction thing which
| we abhor? viii it promote the interests
| Of the Society to ALLEVIATE SO many of its
best friends? Have you right to grieve
| and distress us in this way? The racing
| part of the community have already race
| course that answers their purpose, and we
| do not desire to modest them. Why
| should they wish to modest. us? and
why should you permit them to do
so? Mark my words, gentlemen,
| the union of these two Associations will be
| the death knen of the Agricultural So
| ciety, for SO many sober christian people
will withdraw from it, that it will finally
become only a blood-horse association,
and its usefulness be destroyed. Why risk
such a fate? 1 especially call on the
christians in the society to come up to
the rescue, and even if you cannot see
/ with us, do not srieve and offend us by
this charge of covenant. Paul would not
eat meat while the world stood if it grieved
or wounded q brother; can you, then,
thus grieve and offend us? -
II, however, this thing is forced on as,
then call on every christian to vindicate
the slight put on his religion by leaving
the society. Depend upon it, if you re-
main you viii lose not only the confidence
of your brethren, but the respect of those
very sporting gentlemen themselves, who
know very well what christian ought to
be, and however willing to use church
members as tools, viii in their secret
hearts despise them for their inconsist-
ency. Brethren, think on these things.
A MEMBER.