Daily inter mountain., 1899-10-14

tfanClS iUFGlyd!l III we" l " ooui-
nal. While nothing i'll the form OF
boast has been made of the matter, it is
Well known among the men Who follow
turf affairs closely that the stewards OF
the Jockey Club have been working in
season and out of season, officially and
lnofficially, to unravel the tangled sllein
that they themselves allowed to come
into existence.
All praise to these officials for their
present activity, whatever the source
whence the sudden inspiration to it
sprang. Still the present involved condi-
ton of affairs would never have existed
if a reasonable degree of energy in pre-
serving turf discipline had been main
tanned throughout
The present hard work of the officials
is paying for the supineness that charac-
terized their methods in the early part of
this season and in other years.
AS the situation unfolds itself, one
point becomes only too manifest. The
crisis that was averted by the 'Hukey'
passage Of the Percy Gray bill was due
principally to one cause.-the domination
that the ring had established over all
matters connected With the turf.
Now il is an open question whether the
ring is not more dominant aud more arro-
CANT in it's consciousness of domination
than ever before. A 'well-knoWn plung
err may or may not have been advised
that his room was more accepta Die than
his company. A "prominent layer may
or may not have had it ,ntinlatHd to him
that the ring could do without him, and
may or may not have de1ied the broad
hint. But, anyhow, it is certainly Begin
ming to look as if the scent that is good
SO long as it lies in the direction of the
jockey room fails altogether when the
line of chase points toward the betting
ring.
Of course we have law legalizing rae
ing. For that we should thank our lucky
stars But how much more fortunate
We should be if that law forbade any
kind of betting. whether ''personaP' or
otherwise, and permitted the selling of
auction pools and paris -mutuals.
The racing associations might not
make so much money, to be sure, but if
these old ia shioned forms of betting had
been in use this season, instead of the eX-
listing system, would so many of our most
prominent jockeys be bearing a brand
that no length of time will altogether ef-
face?
The fact seems to be that under the
modern gate-money method of racing,
when the hungry c!amor of the stock
holder browns the public's cry for honest
sport, the layer so long as he is allowed
to exist, but be menace to the turf. He
whatever his business system. whether
he be an honest man and good sportsman
or some rascally graduate of the cheap
gambling dive, is inevitably the man tC
whom the stockholders hold out the hand
of welcome. The money that he pays for
the privilege of laying the odds is tho
surest earnest that his welcome will be
hearty.
But some one may ask: How do you
q dominant
was five years ago? The answer is plain
The authorities stand self-cOnfessed as
being unable to fathom the dark secrets
that would supply the hidden motives
for all the violations of discipline that by
their own actions in the cases of jockeys
owners and trainers they have acknow-
lodged to exist
There is one question that every mai
who hopes for the ultimate welfare of tbs
turf would like to see answered. Why
should it be impossible for such bod,
as the Jockey Club. with the great rev
enue and resources now at its command
to ascertain the real ownership of ever,
horse that races? 1t is an open secre
that many oWnerships are merely nom
inal, and it does not require any deel
knowledge of turf affairs to realize wha
ramfications may be created by such
system
Morris Park is so far furnishing spor
that is inmeasurably superior to tina
seen at the preceding meetings. And thi
is assuredly due to the righteous fear
that has been instilled into the genera
run of those men who make a busines
to get money on the turf, whether by fai
means or foul.
The Jockey Club stewards are hot o.
the trail. There is a magnificent posi-
bility that they will prove able to tinis
up their cleansing work by ridding til
ring and the paddock of some of tn
roglles who have been subornng tn
Jockeys. And so it is that the pride of tn
layer has been humbed for the time be
ing, but unfortunately, he is not the kin
of indiyidual-as class-who will b
suppressed for long unless he is deal
with in manner that will render hii
harmless for life.
If the powers that be are forced to &C
knowledge that all the means at the
command are unable to locate the me
tives for the evil practices that they hav
themselves exposed by the discipline in
tiicted, then, surely, it would be bette
for them to use the winter months in pr.
viding for the substitution of the ms
chanical forms of betting-the auctio
pool and paris-mutual-for the existin
method
New York Journal: James j. Jeffrie
had lively day at his training cam
Yesterday at Alenhurst, N. ].
Although the weather was unfavorab
FOR outdoor exercise. the champion Spel
several hours in the open.
Training to Jeffries is mere play. How
ever he did not follow his schedule clos
yesterday, but went through enough wol