New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-05
WHIST QUESTIONS UNSETTLED.
THE IONG-SUIT AND SHORT-SUIT CONTRO-
VERSY STILL RAGING-A STATEMENT
ny MR. HENRIQUES.

Tho controversy in whist circles between the long
suffers and the short-sniters stirred up at the
annual congress OF the American Whist League
has not ended yet, and 1t would not be remarkable
II II was prolonged indefinitely II has been learned
within the last week that OF the reasons for the
dspute over the respective merits or the Two sys-
TENS of play Is due TO keen rivalry between the
New-York and Brooklyn Whist clubs The New
Workers are known to whist players generally as
short suffers while the Brooklyntes have the most
sunrams contempt for tho short-suiters and their
views The members OF the New-York team say they
are highly incensed over the statement MADE oy inc
Rrooklyn Whist Club TO the effect tnat Messrs
Henriques and Bufinton. OF the New-lo rk 'eain
had signed a statement declaring that they hNl not
nayed the short-sut game during the congress-
Mr. Uenroues captain OF the New-York team, de-
clares most emphatically that he never maze any
such abatement He has stated his position IN these
words which he has given out for puplcation'
81 have never made or signed such a statement
nor did | agree to change our platform, ana never
once bound myself or any other member Of tho
team TO do 40. As a matter or fact, did ieao sup
nortnp cards from short suits when. IN my Judg-
mont there was justification for it. am surprised
that such a statement should have been made, ana
DECLARE that the first intmaton ever had OF such
alleged occurrence was when my attention was
called to the clippings in the daily press
jealousy Ia given by the New-lor as the ex-
planation for the attempt of the Brooklyn men 10
snred abroad the impression that the socalled snort
suit game failed win honors for It's advocates IN
the Congress The New-York men admit that some
time ago Brooklyn a whist centre he'd more
.nyiable position than New-York, but they assert
that more recently Brooklyn has been In total eclipse
as n result of the rapidly increasing ana a-pernei-
ing radiance OF the NewYork Club Inc BToohiy II
pj9yers laugh sc0rnfully at this idea ana insist
that their orthodox long suit game mas ,ueinoh-
strated its superiority time and again; that inc
short-s,iit idea has supporters throughout the
country at large, and that the short.su.ters weis
dsastrollsy defeated whenever they adnereu cose'>
10 their pet theory. A.. .,,.,.,,or
.st,rt suffers as indication that they lead from
their short suits on al occasions. They say mat 10
in detail all the fea OF their game would
he almost ,mposs BILE but prominent member 81 the
New-York WRIST Club gives the following pflet out
line of their system which he says SHOWS us nam
noints OF difference with the oli-estabsned iongsut
game: ,. 49,. l.. M "a
vantage in leading from five trumpS Just because
Won have them or In leading from .ong weak SUITS
which are unsupported by the rest or the hand with
weak hands they prefer TO lead supporting CARDS ID
their partners, and az these supporting cards are
almost Invariably from comparatively short suits
game But an erroneous impression has got abroad
mat the chief feature OF the system Is leading
"sneak KS and playing ''ruifng game Nothing ca,
be further from the principles recognized az sound
nv the New-YOrk team The Fundamental. principle
OF their play IL the established longsult game with
the supporting card attachment and they do not be-
laye in the American leads. preferr'ng the system
OF leads which shows command or strength In the
suit"