Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-12
SUNDAY RACING Is DOOMED
Delegates to League Assembly Vetoes it
Once More.
GATHERING ADJOURNS FOR THE YEAR
Friends of the Local option idea In
the League Are Downcd
When IL Comes to
Vote,

hard work the national assembly OF the
League Of American Wheelmen tonight
finally adjourned one OF the most notable
sessions over held by that body. The all
important question OF local option in the
matter of Sunday racing was again defeated,
an amendment providing that state divisions
be granted the right to determine for them
selves whether or not Sunday bicycle races
should bo permitted being voted down by
but six votes.
An amendment had been offered to the by
laws moving to strike out in article iv of
section z, clause c, all the words between
the words but" and cor" and 10 insert in
their stead the following:
No meeting shall receive sanction II 1t is
TO be held on Sunday in any division where
the board of officers of such division shall,
by resolution, prohibit the same.
BAKER HAS AN AMENDMENT.
:. w. II. Baker, delegate from Euffalo, N.
Y, offered as a substitute for this a.uend-
ment the following, which he spoke on at
length:
1t, shall have the power to grant or with
NOD permits for race meetings and to impose
penalties pen; ties upon race promoters and racing
gage IN racing at the same, without the
official permit of the board. But no race
meet, meeting shall receive official permit il it is
to'be held on Sunday, except as hereinafter
provided, or has upon its schedule an event
which Is open to women competitors.
Ihe League of American Wheelmen, while
diScouraging Sunday racing and all unlaw-
ful and immoderate use of the bicycle, rec
osnizcs the fact that sectional customs and
uses among reputable people in certain parts
OF the United States approve of the indul-
gence In outdoor sports and athletic games
on Sunday and among such people, cycling
racing on Sunday has been strongly encour-
aged; now, to THE end that public sentiment
prevailing in particular divisions shall be
gl tp
that the sport of cycling racing in such To-
calities may be kept free from unclean and
disreputable practices and that all cycling
racing on the track within the United
States shall be subject to the disciplinary
rules of the National Racing board or other
wise, it is hereby provided that no cycle rae
ing on Sunday shall be- recognized or toler-
ated by permit of the National Racing
board or otherwise, in any division, unless
taken ballot before June l, 1898, upon the
question if Sunday racing which each div
iSion IS hereby directed to do. Such ballot
shall be taken according to a uniform rule |
and form to be prescribed by the national
executive committee and all ballots and the
results of such ballots shall be certified by |
the chief consul and secretary-treasurer of |
each division to the secretary of the league |
published in the official League of American |
Wheelmen bulletin. The failure of any div |
sion to take the ballot as herein directed |
of such division, unanimously opposed 10 |
Sunday racing.
And, provided further, that after each |
division has taken such ballot and where a |
majority OF the members of any division |
have voted in favor of such Sunday racing, |
then Sunday racing shall be permitted in |
such division under the same rules and reg |
ulauons of the National Racing board rs |
govern races held on other days of the week.
nit. including all closed meets, but a league
club having twenty league members on its
roll, or meets, the entries to which are
limited to the members of such school or
club holding the meet, shall receive per- |
init without payment of fee.
Mr. Baker said he offered this substitute
as a compromise. In his state, he added |
the sentiment was overwhelmingly against |
Sunday racing. The question he considered |
to be a dangerous one, and one that If |
adopted would dsmember and disrupt the |
league. He contended that the league could |
not stand sponsor for Sunday racing and |
retain its respectability.
DEBATE BECOMES FIERY.
The debate that followed was eloquent |
and fiery at times. Chief Consul Keriker of |
New Jersey spoke against Sunday racing. |
Delegate Mount of Illinois was for it and |
expressed himself strongly in favor Of the |
substitute, as did A. B. Choate of Mlnneapo- |
lis. The latter declared that it was not |
question OF religion, but OF eXpediency.
Frank p. Won Volkenburgh, assistant |
United States attorney and a delegate from |
Milwaukee, made a fiery and eloquent ad- |
dress denouncing the compromise substitute.
nc favored local option ana would vote on |
the original amendment.
Everett w. Patterson of st. Louis was |
favorable to local option A. D. Knapp of |
Pennsylvania was opposed to Sunday racing, |
as were all but few Of the delegates from |
his state.
number Of other speeches were made, |
pro and con- and by good majority Mr.. |
Bakers plan was substituted for the origi- |
nal amendment.
At this point the delegates got into |
parliamentary tangle. When finally it was |
Strengthened out proxy vote was taken on |
the previous question, the adoption of the !
substitute as an amendment to the bylaws. |
1t defeated as the required two thirds |
majority was not in favor of its adoption. |
The total number Of votes cast was 327, max
Ing the necessary two-thirds 21S. A count |
of the votes showed 175 for the amendment |
and 1872 against. The matter will therefore |
be laii over until the next national assembly.
President Potter voted for the amendment.
The divisions voting solidly in favor of the
amendment were; Colorado, District
ana. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mime
sofa, Missouri, North California, Ohio
and Tennessee. The diyisicrs unan-
lmously against the amendment were:
Maine, Nebraska New Hampshire, New
Jersey, South California, South Dakota,
Texas and Wisconsin. Maryland cast 1 vote
for, against; Michigan, for, against;
Now YORK, w Tor, agllnsti pennsylvania, !
for, 81 against; Rhode Island, for, 6 against.
FEW ARE ADOPTED.
Thrty-two other amendments were dis
posed of during the day in various ways
Some were indefinitely postponed or with
drawn, while four were defeated. Among
the more important of those adopted are the
Article iii of the constitution, a new sec
tion inserted, to read No. 9-No profess
sional shall be eligible to entry in any open
race run under the rules of the League of
American Wheelmen unless he Is registered
with the racing board.
Article i'll, section Q.). substitute: Con-
testants at meets closed to a college or
10 any number of colleges forming an in
Lercolleeiate meet, may, for these meets, be
only governed by the amateur rules of the
intercollegiate Association of Amateur Ath-
etes of America.
Article " section 3, was amended by strk-
ng out the word "wheelmen."
Other amendments adopted provided for
he payment of S2,500 year as compensation
o Chairman Mott OF the National Racing |
BOARD, and declaring that hereafter no sane
ions would be given for any six-lay con-
inuous race unless the riders be compelled
o take at least two hours rest out of every
wenty -four.
Resolutions were adopted fixing the regis
ration fee for Drofes sionlls at SO wear. |