The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-19
DECLARATION TO WIN.

Tho recent victory Of Mid Lothian the Stewards
Cup al Goodwood, says the London Field, August .,
IL TO revive In many quarters the OLD controversy
" tho abstract morality OF 'dscarations TO win"
with one horse preference 20 another, when both
are the property Of the same owner. The popular
voice will, no doubt. be In the maJority against the
tolerston Of tho princpc Tor the simple reason tho
public arc not rule, owners of horses, and Tho
principle o, declaration IL which 10
ducsd tor the bcncht OF owners rather than OF tho
public That the speculative portion Of the public
sometimes the sufferers BY She practice We read
y admit II all betting took place at tho post there
would be little difficulty or puzzle objection
70 tho practice; the market would then be
regulated from the outset by any declaration which
duly posted. The declaration simply amounts 10
au Announcements that Inc oxnsr OF two or moro
power OF Winning tho with either Two,
win with A IN prsierence 70 k The pablic then
Cs Of o"i,,on sDss under no r.ssoa.bis c,rc"m-
stances cal defeat the rest OF the HELD, whatever
may Ge able 70 DO. they then nauiye tnolr fancy
back ing b, regardless OF Tho declaration. II tnsy
should tnink that u ~ possibs that both ana b
may be superior TO ,he rest OF tho field, incy viii
then. IN calculating The chances OF upon his
own msri,s. take also into consideration that
those merits VIII possibly not DO called into
play at ALL prev .dsd IN oso OF suffice 10 oeieat
tue rest OF the ns- Lastly, Il they should Os OF
oliuion that 10 not only superior 10 The rest oi The
held bul also 10 his stable com ion thcy VIII then
pan their attn to A, even without the declaration u
his favor. Butwhen shs public kciy 10 burn their
fingers g the betting nAatkcI has Dssa opened upon
Tor days, or weeks, before II 10 DO run,
and In the meanwhile tmsy have selected given AMI
NAL as their fancy, and II whom tho day Of the
comes the owner should nud Il convenient 10 declare
TO win. with another animal In sucn u case they Ind
their calculations upset aud are pro0c 10 tnvsiyh IN
allowing u declaration OF this TO Do made. Tue
late Admiral Rous was opposed 70 the practice on
principle. and Always na,utaeed that the best horse
a. tins weights III The race tnou!d be bound
~ yin II capable Of 30 doing With all deieroucs to
the opinions vi who stood nigh racing icg,s-
ialion tue luIc estor OF Inc Turf, inclined
TO think that The practice 10 Thoroughly decusbe
measure OF justice to owners Looking at II, the
aireauy shown ina. those bscEsrs wSo do not MAKE
tntir bets un after the declaration has boon made
have really nothing " complain o. Next, Win re-
gard 10 those WHO had backed beisrsbanl The horse
IN whose iavor the declaration Is not made u Will DOL
De denied that the owner mas iui right 70 scratca
that horse he should not require ns services IN Toe
race. II an owner found lhmseif possessed
oi horse that could WIN IN his opinion
well as A, ana WIN more remunerntiou 20
himself, ard II moraovsr NJ WAS deborrcd from run
ming that horse otherwise lhau to VIII, even with a
deciaration his hrst impulse woud De ~ scratch A.
10 clear thc road Tor Be victory. TO put tue
pen through his name woulu De destroy the last
hopes winch his backors had oil winning their money.
Ii they had their option whether A should be
scratched or be suaersa under the dccla
ration, subservIent to the interests OF b. they
unbos,laiingly choose the latter alternative Tney
would think tuat they would SIM nave some chance
however remote ior u Is should ut last be iucs
pa1c OF winning, would ssiil 90 mis- best Ih,s on
chance Tor tnsin would still remain
Under this ASPECT OF the case II Is clear that tho
liberation OF declarations 70 win gain In sense
10 Dackcrs as vel as TO owners. he former not
So badly on u Their abced chOce suUservisnt 10
declaration, ~ tbey would 10 " he ~ The
post NJ al; and the latter nave the advantage Of .
second srng TO Their bow, Ut wiuning at least the
stakes aud icss rcmuncrativo amount oil bets WITH
tie non-deciaie cd animal, IN Gaze the favored one
saouid oe Lund unequal TO the task. But suppose
We eliminae bctiiDg altogether IRON The question
The case Tor the owner then bseoncs cscn stronger
than before lie may have Two animAis entered
tles; the o'her horse may have incurred
no penalties, and Is entered Tor some race
hereafter Ia wbcn penalties arc CARR I'd py winners.
10 Will make all the dtercuco Tue HIS
chance OF winning botn races u lac eau land The nfst
with his pcnaiizcd animal and keep the other un-
pcnaltzca for tho later race. Still, II the worst
susi happen and ,ne pcnalizeI horse incapable vt
winning he may he glad TO win tLc nrst race with
tbs unpenaiizrd ono rather than let clip altogether
Fur this reason nc " glad TO run Inc unpcDS'ized
MOI SO as second string, the of chance vi Iequr
iog pim. Under such circumstances ~ would seem
baru that thc owner snOulu We compelled TO
penal &c botu his horses whsn he can mau-
agr, u aiiowci 10 do so, 10 keep The
Tree from penalties, aud wheu at The same timo TIC
praetses no deception oi any sort, but eanaidly
announces HIS Wishes and intcntons upon tho sub
jocl II inc public, who have share N his borscs
nor contribute 10 Their support, desire to gauOe
about them, without calculating shat may be tho
future plans OF the owner with reierencc 10 iuture
races woud DO arbitrary to de gree TO say that the
u~ ner M ust smcrcc his cwn interest and his cnances
OF winning some vau BILE stake subsequently, simply
That he may accommodate those who nave chosen 10
bot upon ms horses Where owner has no interest
where, even u he had such interest he -
e nerous enough 10 waive II IA dcieronce 10
popular greed and gambling, wo can admire the
disinteresiedness which prompts such limo oil
conducI But u IS not every owner VINO can imiiate
tho conduct OF Mr. Merry Ia tho 81 Lsger OF 1873 or
OF Lord Falmouth IN that Of last year II Ia Unfair
to throw such examples in Tho teeth OF owners, aud
long as declarations 10 vim are ny Law duy posted
aud are void oil suspicious chicauery we shall be VI
opinion that any hardship sp scuators which may
nov anu then be entaied by ignorance Of nn owner
interests and Intentions Is lar less than that hardship
declarations were suffered aud n the only alterna-
lives which wcro lett 10 owner should be either 10
scratch his second string or else let run 70 the pos.
slbss aaa svsR probAos injury Of his owa inerssts