The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-07-26
CHURCH AND TURF.
General Abe Buford's Lecture ON
Rnce Horses md Religion.

General Abe Buford, the celebrated Ken.
lucky turfman, lectured yesterday evening to
q fair audience at Hershey Music Hall, Chi
cago, on "Church and Turf" Ex-Governor
Thomas Hendricks occupied conspicuous
position on the stage. Mayor Harrison intro
duced the speaker, who spoke In substance as
follows; 81 am by birth and education turf
man, and come here as Christian turfman
10 INSERT that there ought not to exist any an
tagonism between church and turf 1t is by
tradition alone that tho church is opposed TO
the turf. The cause OF tho antagonism arises
from the fact that ministers of the Gospel do
not understand the relative position of turf
man and sportsman. turfman is gentle
man who owns soil, breeds, trains and runs
and trots his horses to develop speed and on
durance. sportsman is gambler; nothing
more. A turfman lives In tho country.
'God set man above all the animals Of tho
earth, and one OF his duties is to improve and
develop them. The horse Is spoken OF In the
most sublime passages OF tho Bible. Tho
prophet says 'the glory OF his nostrlls is ter
rible.' All through the Bible tho horse is
OF the church to-day may BIO Justly compared
to n troop OF thoroughbred horses, with trap
pings, hitched to chariots OF red. Dewitt Tai
mage says that In America there is, properly
speaking, no turf, but the race-course instead.
The best specimens OF the horse are to be
found in the bluegrass region of Kentucky"
Gus sections, and said the Lexington Associa-
ton was managed by Christians, and had no
gambling. This association allowed running,
but not trotting. The reasons for supporting
the turf are the common defense OF tho c0un-
try and the prosperity and happiness of It's
people, The cavalry and light infantry are
the strongest arms OF the service, and the
greater the speed and bottom the horse has
the more efficient these are. Progress In tho
West depends on the horse, and the machinery
OF the day is estimated by the strength of the
horse. The evils OF the turf are its surround
inEs of gambling, fraudulent running and
scratching at the start. These evils Christians
must suppress.
The speaker then showed up three modes of
gambling-auctlon pools, Paris mutual5 and
book.bettng. These evils might be lessened
by Introducing In the charters OF jockey clubs
u feature organizing the club as a banking In
stitution, and making II n penal ofrense for
any officer or agent of the club to be guilty OF
fraud. The pool.box must BIO removed by leg.
islative enactment, and Jockey clubs regulated
| like board of trade. The pardoning power
| of the Governor must also be taken away In
| cases Of gambling. This would be DEATH
blow.
"Racing is not an abuse, for the horse is
made a prince of and treated with Kindness.
taken to prevent 1t 1t ia Liberal to say turf
| man cannot be n true Christian. The turf has
its abuses, but abolish abuses and purify tho
turf proper.
''Tho position Of the church on amusementa
| Is to leave them to the individual consolences
| OF each member. The duties Of q Christian
| are positive. They must be active for good,
| but not abuse 1t. They may own and trot OF
| run horse, but must not only steer clear oil
| attendant evils, but must oppose them, an 4
| the turf will be ennobled and Cnristlan,zed."