Evening star., 1897-05-08

might easily resultant has resulted-that
for the sake of peace and out of natural
good-fellowship and kindliness, polteness
courtesy and culture the club-life party
should control the Jockey Club and leave
the sportsmen the control of the society.
Now the society, as an old-founded corpora
ton with concessions from the state con-
cessicns based public services connect
ed with that Equine Race Ameioration
which its title boasts, continues 10 control
the three race tracks it founded, fostered
and maintained. The Jockey Club OH the
other hand continues to be the mere club,
tolerated rather than possessed of rights.
And yet 1T is the spirit of the Jockey Club
which seeks to dictate to the society
which is, and yet is not itself-and baIk
the racing public of an act of progress ar
dontly desired by the society well.
State of Things.
In word, the proposition 20 admit the
great outside proprietors to the deibera-
tions of the racing committee of the So
ciety has been peremptorily sat on by the
club-thanks to the voting system of the
club and The society's foundation rule TO
the effect that the committee must be
chosen only from the club membership,
which is, of course. the membership of
the society: and the three millonaires the
banker Fould, the roulette banker Blanc,
anG Menier, the chocolate man, have been
as good as blackballed from club to
admission. Grave consequences are ex-
pected by palpitating public.
1he action OF the nforgetting-and-un-
learning Bourbons of the Jockey looks like
nothing less than suicide, in view of all
the forces now turned suddenly against
them, money interests, the powers of in
trigue possessed by the rebuffed proprie-
tors interior dissensions and the public
utility The racing committee of the So
ciety has already rented a place. close
very close, indeed, it is said, to the Jockey,
and its last words are to the latter:
We are legal corporation and can de-
fend ourselves. Who are you, the Jockey
Club? club, a simple club. though If you
wish. also the highest emanation Of pure
aristocracy. All of which comes back to
the simple fact that your legal existence
IS on sufferance. tolerated like the merest
social or political gathering of more than
tweEty people, and subject to inspec-
tiCn, regulation and dispersal even. Con-
sent then to democratise yourselves-or 1t
is rupture!'
Baron Hirsch's Revenge.
The irfuence of .he three sighted mil
licraires. Blanc, Fould and Menier is
greater. 1 imagine, In the Paris of today
than 1t would have been even twelve or
fifteen years ago. and their several for
tunes Joined together must be greater than
that left behind him by the Jewish philan-
thropist, yet the revenge Of Baron Hirsch
Is not likely to be duplicated in these days
of matter of fact. Baron Hirsch had been
propo osed for membership in the club of
the Rue Royale by two particularly in
fiuential sponsors, two great ducal names,
Of which one was royal the Due de Char
tres, grandson Of Louis Philippe and
brother of the Comte de Paris and the
Due de la Tremoille. The patronage of the
first named, indeed, must in itself have
seemed sufficient to impose no matter what
candidature. which was, perhaps, an ele-
ment of weight in the disaster, the CLUB
holding int1enan6encQ 7 Ia
tale, how the Baron Hir5ch revenged him
self on the club of the Rue Royale. He
DOrg ght, through agents, the old Hotel de
Coislin. where the club has always had
its seat, and as the owner had wish
to sell and SO required to be well tempted
the price was high one, even for ven-
geance. Then he gave notice to his cluDly
tenants to vaeate. true baronial re-
thus, 1t is true, in anecdote. In fact. how
ever, we have not yet got to the revenge
of Baron Hirsch at all. at all. After long
weeks of fright and self-reproach, of
pleadings, arguments and consultations, the
club of the Rue Royale was granted most
magnanimously the privilege of buying the
Hotel de Coislin back a. twice the fancy
price which Baron Hirsch's outraged pride
had paid for it. Which was the baron's
vengeance! Not the other. In reality it
was matter of fact as anything that
NJ. Fould or NJ. Blanc or NJ. Menier might
do today.
History gives US to believe that the Due
de Chartres was grieved at the blackbaiiing
Of his protege, though not reused to the
point of sending in his resignation to the
club. Nor have such grieved sponsors
ever been held to that measure of pro-
testing sympathy. The latest event in
Paris club life, therefore comes with all
the disquieting novelty of a new doctrine.
At the annual meeting OF the Cercle of
the Union the members had to replace
three committeeman, the Comte de Moltke,
deceased, and the Comte Louis de Turenne
and NJ. de Giers resigning. 1t only needed
were motived by not the blackballing. but
the simple adjournment" of a candidate
protected by the well-known sportsman and
the councillor of the Russian embassy to
excitement, for here indeed was something
new.
Seeking . Motive.
The candidate. foreign personality
highly esteemed in Paris. had nothing
against him to call for-or excuse-"ad-
journment. There had been no usual
whispers Of q possible hostility, and 1t had
for that reason been impossible to warn NJ.
de Giers and the Comte de Turenne to
withdraw their man until, say, the next
meeting: What happened was the practical
blackballing Of adjournment" The story
Is that the blow was struck at the desire
Of 'un grand seigneur etranger," as the
Paris journals reticently put 1t, or the heir
to an empire on which the sun sets not as
II is whispered. Whether or not this alle-
cation must be put down to the romance
which. in the Parisian mind, imputes aiI
kind Of International social mysteries to the
Will Of Albert Edward. 1t Is certain that no
one has had the courage to invent the Vie
tim of the motive.