Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-07
(Communicated.)
THE RACING QUESTION.
AN EXPLANATION BY A LEAGUE
OFFICIAL.

OFFICIAL.
The wheelmen' IN this section OF the
country have been so deceived by some
of the newspapers on the racing oues-
ton In connection with the League of
American Wheelmen, that a brief re-
view OF the situation as 1t stands may
not be amiss.
To begin. the trouble began because
the l.. ~. W., through it's duly elected
representatives, insisted that bicycle
racing should be conducted honestly
and according to the rules laid down
by the organization. Naturally, the
riders and officials who were suspended
Tor one cause or another in the inter-
est of clean sport, entertained q griev-
ence against the l.. A. w. for Its action.
Especially was this so in the case of the
parties connected with the short track
scandal. The parties in question knew
that unless some radical move was
made to head off the L. a. w.
their chances of making money as pro-
meters would be ended consequently
they evolved the following scheme
which they proceeded to nut into oper-
alton.
Certain newspapers, the writer's of
whose wheeling news were in their pay,
began a systematic attack on the L.
y. W., ostensibly In the interest OF the
pose Of creating discord and dssension
-a4aaaRsss- the Haenahers-ae4 League
the same time the riders and the Off
Gals who had been hired to lure their
fellows from their allegiance to the par
cnt organization were earning their
money by doing what they could to
persuade other riders to secede.
So far, to the unsuspecting reader of
the daily press. their scheme has ap-
parently met with some success (espe-
cially as the officers of the New York
State Division have remained passive
on the subjecD, but it Is only on the
surface; the tide has turned; the open
ing of next riding season will find the
l.. y. w. master of the situation
The National Assembly, which meets
at Philadelphia. February IS to IS, will
unquestionably drop professional racing
entirely (Which 1t should never have
taken hold of, and the league will con-
fine itself strictly to pure amateurism.
Possibly with two. classes-A and b
Glass a riders to be allowed to race for
diamonds. etc, Class b for medals.
Another subject that will be intro
duced, and most likely adopted, will be
that of allowing bona -fide bicycle clubs
to pay the travelling expenses of their
racing men to and from the clubs, in
stead of as now, being run by Il handful
of professional promoters.
At the present time the same element,
through it's paid newspaper writer's, Is
industriously engaged in pushing the
candidacy of Conway w. Sans, of
Maryland, for president of the league.
on a non-racing platform. We are in
clined to believe, however, that Mr..
Sans diScerns their true object.and will
decline to burn his hands pulling their
cleSt nutS ont Of Thn fire.
In the time between now and the
meeting of the National Assembly loyal
members of the l.. A. w. will do well
to take the INSPIRED" news appearing
in considerable norton OF the daily
press with a pinch of salt. and look
for information indicating the true
state of opinion anent racing control
from those whose aim is to promote the
best interest of the sport, as whole
rather than the sordid ambitions of the