The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-26


THE FRIENDS OF THE HORSE
The effort is being diligently made {,
convince some members OF our Legisla
ture that there is one insoparable con
ncetion between pool-selllng ana n.'
horses. That the man who is unwilling
| either TO 80 himself to the booksellers al
"A norsc-race and stake money ON horses
he may have never seen. or is unwilling
TO encourage his sons. or the sons OF
his friends or his daughters or hts
| friends daughters. to 20 to the race
course and bet against the booksellers, is
no friend of the noble horse and has
none OF the virtues which have made
heroes.
This sounds extravagant but it is not.
The claim is distinctly made that you
| must gamble ON horse-races. and you
must gamble 10y the pool-selling method.
which is 10 bet against the gambler who
runs the pool-boards. or you are no true
horseman and don't care for horse.
Does anybody believe that our ancestors,
of whose chivalry we are justly proud,
and who We're devoted TO the honorable
sport OF horse racing. as it was then
practiced by gentlemen, ever bought q
pool or played the boards" as they
now call il? These gentlemen bet. no
doubt. on their horses. but their bets
were between themselves and upon
knowledge of the horses. and il was only
when the gambling spirit outran the
love Of the horse, that horse-racing
became disreputable. and new devices
for making gambling easy and profitable
were adopted. the chief Of which is pool
selling
SO far from these pool-selling gentry
and their abettors loving the horse. the
most of The patrons Of the boards" don't
care rap for the horse. nor how he
was bred or looks. They want one poor
creature TO beat another poor creature
so they make some money, and whether
the horse runs tail foremost or on three
less is to them a matter Of absolute in
difference.
Any one who has ever attended one OF
these regular pool-seling courses, and
has seen the eager rush of the hot gam
bler-not for the paddock TO examine
tho horses, and so form an opinion of
the merits Of the rivals in the race-but
for the pool-boards TO take a chance,
will understand the difference between
the theory and the fact of the pool-sen-
r-ef "a rfrrro.r+ IL thor. ,,,,a -,,r,- como
mechanical device to run around the
track in an uncertain way, il would be
exactly the same thing 10 them. 10 is
simply untrue to say that the love Of |
is merely used and debased as a tool |
With which to gamble.
Now, who profits by this business? |
First we suppose the owners OF the |
tracks and grounds. who rent out the
privileges" TO the booksellers and TO the
keepers Of bars and lunch-counters-
hese, Of course, make their profits
Then the horse owner gets a purse now
and then, but his expenses are great.
and he must help out by playing the
boards and the temptation is prodi-
sious to put up jobs" in order to win
he bets. We know, of course, that there
IRE most honorable horsemen. The la
nented Thomas W boswell than whom
% purer-hearted man, ever owned
ace horse. would net bet at all. He
NEW the evil Of it, but then. when will
We ever see his like again?
The simple truth IS that the gambling
lement has degraded the race-course:
las drawn from it men who love
orses and who would gladly breed and
rain them, if the sport could be made
lean and honorable. There Is intrinsi-
ally mo- more harm in q trial of speed
horses for a premium than there IS
D showing cattle, and a race between
plendid horses is one Of the most in
,nsely exciting Of all sports. We have
ever understood why it was necessary
have bet on a horse-race I'm order
} enjoy II. unless, indeed. as is general
the case, the men who bet care more
" gambling than they do for horses, or
ont care for horses at all
If the horses are fine the sport is sufi-
ent TO draw a crowd anyhow. as when
gently 1900 people saw Henry Of Ma
are run against Domino, and there
as 10 pool-selling. But when the pool
Hing business is the main object it
axes no difference about the horses. \
rub race is as good for the puruoses of
e gamblers as anything else.
Pool-selling has been condemned upon
ir trial in every State north of us I
II will, in our firm belief, not only ruin q
en-, but the breed of horses.
1t should be cast out of Virginia as an l
lclean thing. {
A NOTEWORTHY SPEECH. \
lrf,..r