Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-08-21

We have noticed recently in tha, live
enterprising paper. the Lewiston Journal
several communications from certain
ministers OF the gospel. touching on ih
evils Of the horse ,rot. the circus an
base ball ground. OF the fr.t they don
appear to know much from personal ob
.erya,ion, bu, rather prefer TO form ,hei'
opinion, Of the good or bad tendencies o.
,hi, popular sport from wha, they hsv'
read. and from the traditions Of ,h'
elders.
Nov, We have no doub, that oul
reverend friends have the welfare Of the
people q, heart, but We eanno
help thinking that II they would attend
any number Of horse tro,s a. they ar'
nov conducted by the various breeders
associations. and agricultural 'ocieiie. oi
the country. they would te fain TO con.
fess ,hs, their views were much too hasii.
ly formed, being governed by what they
had heard respecting horse tro,,ing 10
time. past, when the trials Of speed by
,hi, noble animal. the American ,ro,,ing
horse. were managed by the lower class
Of wha, Is termed horse jockeys. and
that In order to judge righteous juds.
ment, one mus, be careful 10 cast out all
the beams Of mi.informs,ion aud prejudice
out Of his own eye. so ,ha, be may clear.
ly distinguish the notes in 'omebody'
else. II seems TO US that the fac, !,
90 plain ,hs, be who runs may read. pro.
yidsd that. having eyes he can see,
,ha, the horse business as II is called. has
undergone . wonderful change for the
better - far a. the morals Of those en-.
gagged in IL are concerned.
One who attends any Of the leading
uo,ting meetings, having bis ears open
to hear and hi. eyes to see, will discover
q, once ,ha, the managers. a. well a. the
owners Of the mos, valuable horses are
men Of known re.pee,sbility and business
integrity, and not those numbered with
the u.n.sre..o- and IL will be seen
also that In . majority Of cases every.
thing possible Is done by the manage
men, 10 have the races conducted In .
fair aad homes, manner. aud also 10 ex.
elude al rio,ing and drunkenness from
tie grounds. To be sure one hear. some
profanity. and some bets are made. but
co more Of either than is seen at hum
dred. Of other places Of public gathering
where the good and bad meet together
Jus, look q, the profanity that !. heard
on election days, and the amount OF bet.
ting tha, IL done on the result, yet no
one says abolish election, for fear some
Of our innocent young men should be en-.
,icsd away from the paths Of ree,i,ude
and led ss,ray by coming in contact with
evil men. Ia fact into whatsoever state
Of society we may enter. evil h present
with u., and IL !. not in accordance with
reason to try TO elevate the moral tone OF
this wicked and adul,erous generation OF
TO convert the sinner from the error Of
bis way. by seeking TO avoid all inter.
course with publiean' aud sinners OF to
refrain from engaging In any business or
.por, because some unrish,eous persons
are endowed with . taste for the same
thing. Homes, hor.emen should DIVE
ou, the blackles. from the management
Of the horse races aud take possession
themselves.
From statements We have heard made
by certain persons, We should infer ,ha,
they had an idea iha, . fast horse Was
created by the Prince Of Evil, and was
hi. creates, agent for the ENHANCEMENT OF
human souls. We don't subscribe TO
any such belief. but consider the horse
one Of the noble,,. hAndsomest aud most
intelligent Of all Gods creatures, aud
we believe that be would
no, have been created with the power TO
20 fss, IL /, were wrong or cruel for him
90 TO do. And |. the Giyer Of all
good thing. has also endowed a large
par, Of mankind. both good and bad.
With an inborn love Tor His creatures OF
the animal kingdom, we consider !, no
more . sign Of low mind aud dspravsd
taste to be .,rOngly interested 10 the
breeding Of f.s, ,ro,,er aud testing their
speed on the race course, than to be in
,sre.,ed In any other form Of dome',iea,-
ed animal nature OF in agriculture.
Without the race course the present
state Of perfection Of the ,ro,,ins and
roadster horse would never have been re-
allied. nor the breeding industry ever
heyc been so profitable as IL now Is. A
gres, majority Of the human race are
bound to seek pleasure in some form or
another. and bat few things are 50 graft.
flying a, trial. OF speed between horses.
and trials OF sSill between men aud
neither one OF itself Is wrong. SO II all
who desire the good Of the race wish to
use the mos, efisien, means to elevate
our amusements, LEI all see to Il that
these Amusement, under discussion be
conducted in the right way by the night
men.
As regard. the charge Of cruelty as ap.
piled 10 horse ,ro,,ing. we consider !, too
weak and devoid OF ground TO be worth
a reply. Any one eonyersant at all with
the treatment Of uotter . compared
with the way other horses are treated,
can see q, once ,hs, they have better
care and are whipped les, than any other
class Of horse.; and we know !, !. no
hardship for q f.., and spirited horse. 10
the finest condition, n tro, . mile At his
bes, speed with eompsti,or. No one
u,,ers . word about the cruelty OF oN'
pulling =, fairs where the poor bovines
are whaeksd and punehed with long
br.ds until they have laid oat every ounce
Of strength there !, Ia them. aud then
perhaps. IL they are fat. they are sold to
. butcher who fixes a ring to their noses,
pulls their head, d,s n to ring Ia the hoOr.
cracks them over the heal with a 'ledge
hammer. strings them up heels first, be.
fore they are half dead sometimes. and
4 49, m lonrar alaal