The herald., 1896-02-13
NO GRADES OF AMATEURS
Will Hereafter Be Recognized by the
L. A. w.
The League VIII Still Control Racing and
Men Will Pedal as Amateurs
or as esslonals

BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. 12.-All classes
heretofore recognized by the l.. A. w. were
abolished at today's session of the national
convention, and cycle ridersare now in ex-
actly the same category as are all other
athletes and sportsmen. In future the
league will recognize no grades of anna
tours, and any rider who does not live
strictly up to the rules governing non-pro-
fessional sport will be- placed in the ranks
of the professionals.
The result was reached by the repeal of
all the clauses in the league constitution
creating classes and B and defining the
status of men who formerly belonged to
them. The convention took this radical
step during it's afternoon session while con-
sidering large number of amendments to
the constitution proposed by the racing
board and designed further to regulate and
define the positions of class B men. There
ments and several of them had been
adopted when Mr.. Mott of this city offered
an amendment abolishing class B entirely.
1t was carried almost without dissent
ing voice, il, indeed, there was any, and
the chairman announced it was unani-
nous. A resolution was then adopted to
the effect that all members of the league
| who are at this time class B shall in the
future be treated as amateurs, similar in
every respect to class A men, and that all
others shall be deemed professionals.
The penalty for any act of profession
alism will, therefore. in the future be prac-
| tically expulsion from the league.
The result gave the utmost satisfaction.
The other important steps of the day
were the offer and acceptance of a propo-
sition from Consul Potter of New York to
submit to arbitration his lawsuit against
Fsn <.E l.
ton of The Bulletin, and which has long
been pending in the New York courts, and
the refusal of the league to abandon con-
troi of racing.
The first amendment considered was
that proposed by Potter OF New York to
land to promote and regulate cycle racing
on the track" Potter, in discussing the
question, created an uproar by stating to
the association that there were mot enough
honest, clean amateur bicycle racers in the
country to make respectable meet"
Sterling Elliott, now president-elect. OPP
posed the amendment. j. b. Roosevelt of
New York advocated it, as did also j. B.
Townsend of the same State. The amend
ment was rejected by q vote of 1875 to 40.
This means that the league will retain con-
troll of cycle racing.
An amendment providing that divisions,
SUBDIVISIONS and consulates shall be dis
continued whenever the membership falls
below twenty-five, and all moneys belong
ing to them pass to the league was adopted,
as was also another providing that all
memberships shall expire one year from
publication of application in the official
organ. Amendments providing for men,
bership may be renewed and that penalties
for lapses in dues shall in no case exceed
81 for full year were adopted.
More than half of the proposed amend
ments to the constitution were disposed of
attend the convention adjourned tonight to
before a theater party at Ford's opera
house, and there is no doubt it will CON
clude its deliberations tomorrow. Many of
the delegates have already left for home,
and it is not likely that tomorrow's attend
ance will be large.
The afternoon session, aside from the
action taken in regard to racing matters,
was not productive of important or inter
esting results. After taking up and dispos-
ing of the amendments offered by Chair
man Gideon OF the racing board, as pre-
viously mentioned, the convention consitl-
cred the other amendments in the order in
which they were offered. The most i'm.
portant of these offered were as follows:
Providing that an amateur shall not
compete in any race outside his own state,
at a greater distance than 100 miles by
the usual line or route from his legal resi-
dence except at national Or closed cham
ponship meetings, OF except by special
permission OF the members of the racing
board in charge of his dis
trict; making tho chairman of the
auditing committee member of the
national assembly; fixing the date for the
annual meetings of the league, the second
Wednesday in February instead Of the
second Monday; providing that the place
of annual meeting shall be deter mined by
the national assembly unless delegated to
the executive COMMITTEES; providing that
the division secretary-treasurer shall hold
office until removed by the board of
officers; adding to the list of national
committees that of local organization.
Adjournment was then had until 8 o'clock
tomorrow morning,