New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-13

which to the engineers Of the scheme has been
transparent all along The innovation means that
hereafter there will be two classes, and that Doth
will be conducted strictly business principles IL
means the doing away with the pernicious system
of giving prizes advertised being worth $50 or
500 when in reality their actual valuation was not
over half those amounts. 1t means that the pro-
fessona has suppianted the semi-profess!onal' ana
that the sport of cycle racing will be conducted on
a plan similar to that in use by the National Base
bail League. While the baseball Solons occasionally
make rules which are neither just nor equitable
their constitution Is thing OF beauty. ana the IDEAS
born in the active brains Of such wel-known sports
men as Mills Young Spalding, Byrne and Day have
been accepted by the men who conduct o'her
branches OF sport. Semi-professionaiism has been
tried in every branch of sport and it has never sue
ceeded, and it never will.
At the opening of the convention to-day the hrS'
thing to come up for discussion was the amendment
tv Mr. Potter that the League divorce itself from
the control OF racing. There an effort at the
start in some directions 10 vote down the amend
nent without much discussion. Stirring speeches.
were made by Potter. Townsend Roosevelt. Cook
Richardson and others, and even President hillo''
said some things which practically favored the idea
although he was opposed in reality to the League
rivng 10 the control Of racing. When II came 10
n vote the resolution was killed. athoush ioT'!
votes were recorded in favor Of IT, SIN the choft
for reform had been started, and 1t bore good ru't
later in the day The Racing Board was simply
routed and when Chairman Gideon finally surren-
do-o1 he said that ne had favored the retention or
Class Il beca, Sc Of that meeting In New-forK
during the Cycle Show, when the Executive COM
,o,,.ee Of the L. A. W. and the Board of Trade mad
decided that It would be for the best to retain 'e
misnomer. He admitted that the innovation "ou''
simplify the racing situation
DISPOSITION OF THE CLASS b MEN.
Amendment after amendment was acted upon to-
doy which will have to be rec0nsdered tom 'rrow.
If was decided to call a Class a man an amateur
Then II WAS agreed TO call Class Il man Class
y man Init that he should not be called a Class Is
amateur Then Glass riders were made lhehS4o!e
10 membership in the l.. A. w, as well as PROBES
sionais This matter Will be gone over again. ana
there Is a chance that the professional Will be made
oI,,ilJe IS already pointed out in these columns 1t
would have been severe penalty SIMPLY 10 10
away with Glass i and throw the riders INTO ths
professional class because that class was estaDshcd
by the LeAEuc itself and the riders had nothing 10
do with it, 80 il agreed that all the old inter,
mediate riders snoG.u pe iut as cs mo
be allowed to dilit INTO the lroisSloitI caaS WIZ
most OF them VIII Of their own voliton IT, now
some practices which have been prevalent hereto
fore the Racing Board will lose no time in trans
the innovation then the Racing Board VIII become
an all-powerful factor in the cycle racing world
THE RACING BOARD GUARDIANSHIP.
The president OF the League has the power to ap-
point the chairman of the Board and the chances
are that there Will be some changes. If George d.
Gideon Will accept reappointment, he will probably
the Office. and the changes will only among
the members of the Board. Mr. Elliott will not talk
about the matter to-nisht and Mr. Gideon himself
terror TO evl-d0ers on the track intmatos that
he may decline the honor ana that he Will not give
q positive answer urul after h. has consulted his
family. He SAYS that the work is hilarious CON
sunng much of his time and he thinks that his