New-York tribune., 1894-03-16
THE GRAB-ALL CLIQUE.
isURGENT NEED OF GREAT REFORMS ON
THE AMERICAN TURF.

/ THE AMERICAN TURF.
| MEN AND METHODS THAT DIsPLEAsED AND DIS
GUsTED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC LAST YEAR
AIMS AND AMBITIONS OF THE NEW
JOCKEY CLUB-oLD WAYS MUST BE
BANDONED-EFFORTS TO RE-
STORE PUBLIC conf
DENCE- SETTING ASIDE
GRABBERs.
Every one,who, desires to see the American turf
managed in a broad and generous spirit, VINO
wishes to see the standard Of racing raised ana
| the sport put on the level which It should occupy,
must. feel keen interest.in the New Jockey Ciuo
which james r. Keene has done so much 10 es-
tablisl No shrewd observer of racing ai1airs can
doubt THAT the need Of a thorough-going revoiu-
ton md transformation Of the American turi IS
urgent and imperative In Mr. Keene the move
ment for reform and improvement has we'll
equipped ,able and,brilliant leader Mr. keene ls
now the foremost figure on the American turf.
His stable won far more money last year than
any other i'm the world. and II carried of many
NJ the most famous distinctions and triumphs
known to rnrfmen. His superb two-year-oid'
Domino. CAPTURED most OF the richest prizes for
turity. Other horses In his stable won many
stakes Of mucfr importance and reputation Mr..
Keene has proved himself possessed OF the quail
tiles necessary for leadership in great turf
undertaking. The time Is ripe for revolution on
rhe turf The New Jockey Club ought to be able
to,accompl.sh a great ideal for the benefit OF rae
ing.
RING METHODS IN RACING.
No reasonable man can doubt that racing
lost ground Immensely in public confidence last
wear The chief trouble that the Grab-All
C,ioueryas altogether too conspicuous. too power
ful and too graspfng the turf Race-goers
general .could not avoid thinking that at three
Of the es--known racecourses In the East the
conditions OF races were In many cases especially
arranged, for the benefit OF Michael f. Dwyer
and his friends. These racc-goers may nave
been mistaken in their suspicious. but there were
a great many things witch occurred on the turi
In 1898 ami In previous years which tended to
trengthensthese suspicious. The Grab-AH cirque
attemptedr1o run racing in the East ana 10 rue
IL in just such way az Tammany Han mas
grabbed eNervth!ng in the city government Of
New Y ork. and got the whole municipal admins
tration. the entire public treasury. all the func-
tions Of government and all the public funds
within its clutches.
were exactly similar TO those of Tammany Han
IN local poIsics All sorts Of schemes. all sorts
~ combinations all sorts of arrangements. we're
made by th. members of this clique In order
that racing I'm the cast might be- made to yield
the largest pTsbc revenue Tor the hihhE "i
their individual pockets. Every member ~ the
cduc was dctcln, ned 10 ret all the money th't
he nossib.y couIdI;ct out ~ racing without con
e!dcratIon for thc' ,rputatIon. the advantage ana
tho benefit of the turf or Tor public opinion ana
Tho roo,Iirer,.uts nf public spirit The members
Of this ciiuuc raced ~. every day that th"y could
grab on their three racccourscs In every d"'ail
of tb, sport they ransacked all things In order
n law hola Il the larrcst profits for Themselves
y &c rot at alls,irr Using that the general public
hccor,c weary ana lis.,us:"d - raciag conducted
I'm this stvl an.l WITH these methods jrs, az IN"
respectable ana decent peorl" - N"w-f"rh nr'
thnrour Alv tired and disgustci with Ta"many
method, N this city and with the m thods ~
the Erookiyn ring In Kings County
uisa.signilcers and Interesting fact that ~"
members of this Grah-Al Clique were IN al
most every insiarve all.c9 and associates "' IN"
leaders or ramnnaIry Hall or u the leaders of
the Hrookvn rinr Now n American racing "
70 be established on n firm foundation: II It Is to
flourish and prosr.T II 1t " TO secure ana retain
nubl,c confidence the methods and ways of the
Drooklvn ring and Of The Tamnany rlng must be
abolished entirely. American rac"courses can
not possibly expect liberal public support while
ring methods.are allowed to prevail upon them
FAVORED nY TURF OFFICIALS.
u was not only in the arrangement of the
ordi,iors of races and.in grasping at every rae
too, dav which could L.. possibly secured that the
crab All Cliouc on tn, turf excited public criu-
c,sm and public faulr-inding. The weights IN
the handicaps on thc -acctracks which were
r,ona eed and controlled by this chqu" were oit"h
,dius,cd in such way that the horses belonging
"a TN. -lcnrbcrs Of this clique enjoyed especial
advantages This cliGu" had the appointment Oh
h,ndirappDrs and starbrs. Judges ana "ther rae
,,, officials on several tracks II naturally fol-
Lowell that the racing officials TOOK pans az al
times not 10 give the 3lghteSt Cd"7' VI "'''"''
io the Grab-Al Clique.
T, was a wcll-lnown fact. a matter Of com
moi, observation and OF general comment last
se,son as in some previous seasons that the
borees belonging t. dhe members Of this clique
on, tho hes; Of the starts In Il great many
cosos Such horses got the best of the weights
In the handiraps In great many cases. The
members Of this clique generally got the better
Of the close decisions. Nearly All the racing
officials exhibited zealrnis and earnest desire
10 please them In every way and to gratify
their wishes.
The Jockeys employed by these men were
allowed n freed I'M and a license which rapidly
swcled into outrageous impudence and wanton-
ness The Grab-A Clique dominated the
affairs Of some Of the best-known racecourses
In the East with an insolcrce and arrogance a
defiance OF public opinion. and "A contempt for
the feelings Of decent people. that aroused a
storm of Indignation ana wrath against them
and against their methods.
A REVOLT AGAINST THE BOARD OF CONTROL.
The Coney Island Jockey Club was n dis
tinguishcd and honorable exception to Ring
schemes and Ring msmanagemen This club
declined to allow the Grab-All Clique to domi-
nate its affairs or TO Interfere with Its racing.
The failure of the Grab-All Clique 10 domnecr
over the Coney Island Jockey Club. and to in
a caused tter