Evening star., 1898-02-12
OUHsuItIIS tHysICIdHsS
us 18th Street Northwest.

| opponent. instead of Sterling Elliott OF
Massachusetts, was something Of a sur
prise. While Elliott had announced his
! candidacy for the position. Gideon had
made the announcement that ne would not
run. The strongest rebuke that could be
given him for his action was in the fact
mat his own state refused to indorse him
/ ior the position, casting its vote for Pot
! ter as president, and Thomas J. keenan,.
the vice consul Of Pennsylvania, as first
| vice president.
The action of Gideon in running for tho
Office after his refusal to be a candidate
early in the race is probably due to the in
nuerce OF Elliott. SO long as the latter
thought that there was n chance for him
he would run, but finding this useless he
threw over his strength To Gideon, and
doomed him for the position, knowing that
the ex-chairman of the racing board would
De able to control a good many western
1 votes however. Elliott was outmaneuy-
ered at every point, and as a strategist he
found his equal in Potter who on soma
parts OF league politics can give the Mas
him.
The professional question. like Banquo's
ghost, can never be downed and WAS
| Drought up on the first days session of the
assembly. 1t bids fair to become even
more serious than the color line question
which caused SO much internal dissatis-
Iactlon In the ranks of the organization
oohie years ago out which was eventually
settled. The professional question came up
| at the last national assembly and was
Knocked out Notwithstanding this blow
the same matter was brought up this year
ana for second time il was defeated
The hackers of the issue are not content
10 let the matter rest, and il is safe to saw
that 1t will be agitated before the next as
sembiy. BY next year the question NAV
acton.
Ihe professional riders, as a class. are
out in the cold. Though under the rules
OF the League OF American Wheelmen, they
nave no right to join. no right TO vote or no
right to do anything but do just as they are
now doing. The membership of the league
ls made up entirely of amateurs and the
constitution expressly stipulates this to he
an essential qualification for membership
The action Of the league seems to be arbi-
trary in keeping this class of wheelmen.
some OF whom, not by their own choice
nave been designated as professional riders
LOT some misdemeanor or slight infraction
of the rules. The sentiment regarding the
matter is well defined. The east especiallv
the New England states. are opposed to ad-
Hltting the professional riders to member
ship, but il seems as though lie west is in
favor of the idea. 1t so happens that the
great majority of the membership of the
organization is in the east and as the
basis OF representation is according to
numerical numbers. the professional riders
are still barred out, for another year at
the least.
The recognition OF a Junior order of
Wheeimen throughout the country is ex-
pected TO be a means of increasing the
main body. At the assembly an amend
ment to the constitution was adopted per
Hlttlng the board of officers of any divis-
ion to establish junior membership of the
league, to be subject to the control and
management of the board of the division
lie age Limitation is placed from twelve
to eighteen years. and every applicant
must be a member of the family of a
league member or a ward of the same This
matter is calculated to excite an interest
II. the breast of the young American rider
ara train them fully to the advantages Of
fered by the national organization The
ylnlor membership will be really aux
mary TO the body, with the exception that
II has no general officers of its own.
Albert Mott. or rather Mr. and Mrs. AL
bert Nett, Jointly. the chairman of the Ma
tional League of American wheelmen rae
ing board, have troubles that are calcu-
lated TO frighten away aspirants for the Of
fice Mr.. Mott is constantly haunted he has
asserted, by the thought that in exercising
the powers of his Office he may have done
injustice TO some innocent person. This
gives me a feeling Of uneasiness far from
pleasant, he is quoted saying.
Truly. some of the questions upon which
this valiant pair are called to settle must
be productive of insomnia. One case Mrs.
Mott sometimes tells of follows:
1t was leftover from George d.
Gideon's administration. A race took place
in Connecticut in 1896. 1t was for boys of
sixteen years or younger. gentleman had
two sons in this race. there being five COM
petitors In ALL One of his sons finished
first and the other third. The one finishing
first got the prize, pair of one-dollar bi-
cycle trousers. 1t was later discovered that
the winner was sixteen years and two
rlonths old. the family Bible record prov
ing this. The boy finishing second claimed
the prize, and the member of the racing
hoard in whose jurisdiction the race was
ordered