St. Paul daily globe., 1896-02-13
RADICAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION OF
THE L. A. w.
ALL RIDERS ON ONE LEVEL.
THOSE NOT LIVING UP TO THE
RULE WILL BE RANKED AS
PROFESSIONALS.
A GOOD DAYS WORK IS DONE.
And Already Many of the DeIegafes
Have Departed for Their
Homes.

Have Departed for Their
Homes.
BALTIMORE, Md. Feb. 12.-All
classes heretofore recognized by the
League Of American wheelmen were
abolished at today's session Of the
national convention, and cycle riders
are now in exactly the same category
as are all other athletes and sportsmen
In the future the league will recognize
no grades of amateurs, and any rider
who does not live strictly up to the
rules governing non-professional sport
! will be placed in the ranks of the pro-
fessionals. This result was reached by
| the repeal of all the clauses in the
league constitution creating classes A
and B, and defining the status of the
men who formerly belonged to them.
The convention took this radical step
during its afternoon session, for which
it met to consider large number Of
amendments to the constitution pro-
posed by the racing board and design
| ed to further regulate and define the
positions OF class B men. There were
dozen or more Of these amendments
when Mr.. Mott, Of this city offered an
amendment abolishing class B entire
ly. It was carried almost without a
dissenting voice, if indeed there were
any, and the chair decided that it was
unanimous. A resolution was then
adopted to the effect that all members
of the league who are at this time class
B men shall in the future be treated
as amateurs, similar in every respect
to calss A. men, and that all others
shall be deemed professionals. The
penalty for any act of professionalism
will, therefore, in the future, be prac-
tical expulsion from the league. The
result gave the most general satisfac-
ton.
The other important steps of the day
were the offer and acceptance Of a
proposition from Consul Issac B. Pot
ter, Of New Work, to submit to arbi-
tration his law suit against the L. A.
| W., growing out Of the publication of
The Bulletin, and which has long been
pending in the New York courts, and
the refusal Of the league to abandon
control Of racing. More than half Of
| the proposed amendments to the con-
stituton were disposed of when the
convention adjourned tonight to attend
theater party at Ford's opera house,
and there is no doubt that it will con-
clude it's deliberations tomorrow. Many
Of the delegates have already left for
home, and 1t is not likely that tomor-
rows attendance will be large.
ADOPTED ARBITRATION.
Vice President Perkins was in the
chair when the league assembled today
and took up the considerat ton of new
business. great deal Of time was
again devoted to the discussion of the
law suit of I. B. Potter against the
breach Of contract for the publication
of the L. A. w. Bulletin by Mr.. Potter.
The sum involved is about $4,000, and
the case has already consumed much
OF the time of the present convention.
Mr.. Potter offered to leave the matter
| to an arbitration committee, one to be
selected by the league, one by Mr.. Pot
| ter, and third to be selected by the
other two.
A motion was adopted authorizing
the president to appoint committee
to draft resolutions to be presented to
the various legislatures declaring BIZ
cycles to be personal baggage. The
seventy-four amendments to the con-
stitution were then taken up.
The first amendment considered was
to strike out of article 1, section 2, the
words, land to promote and regulate
cycle racing on the track" Mr.. Pot
ter, in discussing this question, created
| something of an uproar by making the
assertion that there were not enough
honest, clean amateur bicycle racers
In this country to make a respectable
meet" The amendment was rejected
by a vote of 135 to 40. This means that
the league will retain control of cycle
racing.
An amendment providing that divis-
| ions, subdivisions and consu1ates shall
be discontinued whenever the member
ship falls below twenty-five, and all
| moneys belonging to them pass to the
| league, was adopted, as was also an
| other providing that all memberships
shall expire one year from the publica-
ton of the application in the official
organ. An amendment providing that
memberships may be renewed, and
that penalties for lapse in dues shall
In no case exceed 81 for a full year,
was adopted. The convention took a
recess until p. m.
The afternoon session, aside from the
action taken in regard to racing mat
ters, was not productive of important
or interesting results. The delegates
during the noon intermission had been
photographed, and after taking UP and
| disposing of the amendments offered
| by Chairman Gideon of the racing
board, as previously mentioned, con-
sidered the other amendments in the
order in which they were offered The
most important Of those adopted were
as follows:
| Providing that an amateur shall not
compete in any race outside his own
state, at greater distance than 100
miles by the usual line or route from his
legal residence, except at national or
closed college championship meetings,
Or except by special permission from
the member Of the racing board in
charge of his district; making the
chairman Of the auditing COMMITTEE a
member Of the national assembly; fix
ing the date for the annual meetings of
the league the second Wednesday in
February instead of the second Mon
day; providing that the place of an
nual meeting shall be determined by
the national assembly, unless delegated
to the executive committee; providing
that division secretary -treasurers shall
hold office until removed by the board
of officers; adding to the list of national
committees that of local organiza-
tion.'
Adjournment was then had until 8
o'clock tomorrow morning.