Evening journal., 1898-03-03
POTTER'S DEFENSE.
L. A. w. President Answers
ex-Handicappor's Charges.
GIVES A STATEMENT on CYCLE RACING
Refers at Some length 20 the Six Day
AGair at Madison square Garden In
December and Mr.. Bntchelders
Connection Herewith.


NEW YORK, March s.--Isaac b. Pot
ter, president Of the L. A. w, who has
been subjected to criticism for his re-
cent actions. in appointments particu-
larly. and who was on Tuesday de-
nounced by A. G. Batchelder, the de-
posed official Handicapped Of the L. A.
w In New York state, at St. Augustine,
Fla, has issued statement defending
himself. He says. in part:
Il will not attempt to answer the
broken English Of an angry mans COM
plant or to reply to his attack upon
his successor in office, upon the national
assembly or upon myself. but this out
break supplies the opportunity for a
plain statement on this racing question,
and / will 60 straight at It.
Common consent Of the athletic and
sporting bodies Of this country has COM
initted to the L. A. w. jurisdiction over
the sport OF cycle racing, and this trust
we are expected to administer faith
fully lmpartially and with clean hands.
To this end we appoint our racing board
and handioappers not for the purpose
Of issuing valuable sanctions to them
selves, their associates or appointees
nor TO enable them to promote races or
partake in the pecuniary profits Of race
meets, but rather to supervise these
race meets from an official and neutral
standpoint and to maintain the purity
Of the sport by the enforcement OF sal
utary rules.
I'm the enforcement OK these rules the
attitude Of our racing board toward the
race promoters sometimes goes to the
point Of censorship, and, in view OF the
power given It by our bylaws to i'm
pose penalties upon race promoters,
who will be so dun as TO say that either
the racing board or its official ap-
pointees should hold race meets for
their personal gain and thus subject
themselves 10 the penalty OF their own
disoipllne2 That this plain principle has
been violated at one time or another !
will not dispute, but the violation car
ried Its attendant peril and finally log
icai result
There was a six days race sane
! TONED by our league, and thousands OF
| people went to see II and paid thou
| sands Of dollars for the privilege. From
hour to hour for a whole week bulletins
| were issued and published, and public
| interest was enormously stimulated by
| the statement that marvellous records
were being made. In due time the peo-
pie berame inquisitlve, and then sus-
picious, and finally the track was meas
ured. Then It turned out that the track
was short the records false the bul.
Ietlns bogus The newspapers had beer
misied. and the people humbugged. one
/ OF the promoters and managers of this
race was an official OF the league. a
| Handicapped
"rhe league investigated as we'll as
It could II had no power to compel the
attendance OF witnesses or to require
any perscn to testify. The racing board
decided that the race promoters haC
either been 'ovefconhdent or care
lcss' and that the public had been mis-
led Every member Of the board wa
close and considerate friend OF thi
Handicapped and with modest consider
alton declared It to be an impropriety
for a handicapper to be also a race pro
moter and gave to this Handicapped hi
choice between severing his connection
with the Race Promoting association
and resigning his office have neve
known to what degree he has exercise
this option. He IS now in the south Il
( the company OF racing men, one o
whom at least came from France unde
contract with the six days race pro
moters, but for the purposes Of thi
statement this ls unimportant It onl
remains for me TO say this: I have nc
attempted to dictate the appointment
of Handicapped. but I have taken tn
liberty to recommend the appointmer
OF new Handicapped for the district
which this gentleman has served"