Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-26
CHURCH AND TURF.

Lecture by Gen. Abe Buford, the Cele-
brated Kentucky Breeder and THURMAN
The Lines of Demsfkation Between q
THURMAN and Sportsman-The Evils OF
Turf Due to the Latter, Which Christians
Should Help Eradicate.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.
CHICAGO, July .25.-Cen. Abe Buford, the
celebrated Kentucky turfman, lectured this
evening to fair audience at Hershey Music
hail, on "Church and Turf" Ex-Gov. Thos.
Hendricks occupied CONSPICUOUS position on
the stage. Mayor Harrison introduced the
speaker who said in brief:
"Ladies and gentlemen, am by birth and
educationa turfman, and come here as a Chris
tian turfman to assert that there ought not to
exist antagonism between the church and
turf. 1t is by tradition alone that the church
is opposed to the turf. The cause OF antago-
nlsm arsies from the factsthat ministers of the
gospel don't understand the relative position
OF turfmen and sportsmen. A turfman is a
gentleman who owns soil, breeds, trains and
runs and trots his horses to develop speed and
endurance. A sportsman is gambler, nothing
more. A turfman lives IN the country. God
set man above all the animals of the earth and
one OF his duties is to improve and develop
them.
THE HORSE
is spoken of in the most sublime passages of
the Bible. The prophet says "The glory of his
nostrils is terrible" All through the Bible
the horse is spoken of as brave and powerful
The advance of the church to-day
troop of thoroughbred horses with
trappings .hitched to chariots of red. Dewitt
Talmage in America says there is properly
speaking no turf, but the race course instead.
The best specimens of horses are to be found in
the blue grass region OF Kentucky"
The speaker then adverted to racing in
various sections and said the Lexington
association is managed by Christ ians and had
no gambling. This association differed from
the speaker in allowing running but not trot-
ting. The reasons for supporting the turf
are the common defense of the country and
the prosperity and happiness of the people.
The cavalry and light infantry are the strength
of the army and the service, aud the greater
speed and bottom the horse has the more
efficient they are. The progress of The West
depends on the horse.
THE EVILS OF THE TURF
are the surroundings of gambling, fraudulent
running and scratching at the start. These
evils Christians must suppress. The speaker
then showed up three modes Of gambling
"auction pools, ""Paris mutuals, )" and s'bool
betting" These evils might be lessened BY
introducing in the charters of jockey clubs s
clause making it penal offense for any office
or agent OF the club to be guilty of fraud. Tht
pool box must be removed by legislative enact
ment, and jockey clubs regulated like .
board of trade. Then the pardoniag power OF
the governor must be taken away in cases Of
gambling. This would be its death blow
NOT AN ABUSE.
Racing is not an abuse, for the horse il
made prince of and treated with kindness
Scratching is robbery and means should b
| taken to prevent it. 1t is illiberal to say
turfman cannot be a true Christian. The
turf has its abuses, but abolish the abuses
and purify the turf. The proper position for
the church on amusements is to leave them tt
the individual consciences of each member
The duties of Christians are positive.
| They must be active for good and
against evil. They should make money but
not abuse it. They may own and trot or ruI
horses, but must not only steer clear of at
tendant evils, but must oppose them and tn,
turf will be ennobled and christianized.