Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-05
Dishonest Jud1es.

The communication published in these
columns expressing the alleged dishonest
actions of the judges at Saltwater, during
the racing meeting there, is provoking
comment in the leading horse papers Of
the coantry. The feeling that if racing
meetings are to be kept up, and the in
terest il speed trials continued, then these
trials must be conducted in an honest way.
The best minds now engaged in breeding
horses are satisfied that aside
from all considerations of prin-
ciple that the interests of the
turf cannot be kept up for any length of
time, and ought not to be kept up if dis
honest judges are to be placed in the
stand. The letters of one correspondent
in regard to the alleged dishonesty at Still
water have been taken up, and the facts
stated have been severely commented on
by the leading horse papers of the country.
In addition to this a correspondent who
signs himself Witness" has letter in the
Spirit Of the Times, in which the writer
gives the same version of the
transaction that the writer in the
GLOBE gave. In commenting
upon the Saltwater meeting the The Spirit
in an editorial, makes the following re-
marks which may be regarded as a fair
specimen of what all the other papers say:
Oar articlei in relation to suppression of
time, in The Spirit of Oct. 10, has called
out great deal of comment, and we have
received number of letters regarding it,
all, we are happy to say, of the approving
kind. One of these headed "Queer Doings
in Minnesota" appears in this issue. 1t
comes from man who can back up his
statements, and proposes to carry the
matter through the Board of Appeals. 1t
will be observed that he speaks out with
entire frankness, and, if there is a dispo-
siticn and ability on the part of the
authorities to follow up the irregu-
Iarity, they will have plenty of assistance.
Another correspondent from Maine,
one of the most intelligent and active
among the trotting horsemen of New
England, writes: "In the Spirit of the 18th
your article on Rule Al, while true, exposes
a matter which ought to be remedied at the
coming congress. While would be glad
to inform you that New England was not
given to these practices, still am obliged
to include her among the army of sup
pressers.' | saw bill of some races in
which it was advertised that mo time
would be given. l have been asked to sup
press time eight seconds, and that by
man who has driven ten years, to my
knowledge, and at one time was in the en-
ploy of a member of the board of appeals.
Can we suppose he did not know the rule?
But they all do 1t. do not write this for
publication, but hope you will stir it up
again before the second Wednesday of
February, 1884"
While we despair of reform ever being
effected in this direction, we are we'll con-
WINGED that, if it ever is done, it will bs
through making odious judges who are
guilty of such practices. and this can be
done only by cooperation of honorable
turfmen. Our remarks of three weeks
since cannot be gainsaid. When a Judge
consents to allow board to go before the
public with false times announced for
heat in a trotting race, he simply lies, lies
officially, and lies glaringly. His offense
is aggravated by the fact that he abuses
position of peculiar confidence. Any man
who, relying upon his judgement, wagers
that a horse will make certain time, and
loses its because the judges! announce
false time, is entitled to call them thieves.
These are harsh terms; but they fl, and
no others do. We have no doubt
that many men, usually honest and we'll
Iuetuluk, nave IdlAeD luJO IDeS6 errOrS; our
object is to set them up glass where they
can see the inmost part of themselves,
and recognize that trust should not be
abused in sporting any moye
than III Business matters. If
people all over the country who
are liable to be called upon to act as
judges of horse races could be brought to
realize the actual turpitude of tinkering
with time records, it would not be long
before no respectable man could be in
duced to make a cats paw of himself for
pliable associations aud dishonest owners
And the best way to effect the object is for
the example of our correspondent who
writes about the Saltwater transactions to
be literally forward, giving the names of
the offenders. We agree to publish them
in every case when the communication is
from a responsible party,who will stand by
his statements, and prove them.