The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-25
ARE all AGAINST IT
Horsemen Emphatic Against Bill
Leasing Fair Grounds for
Pool-Selling Races.
M. w. Savage Of This City and H. NJ.
.# Stocking of St. Paul on
f. Record.

More protests are coming in from horse
men of the twin cities against the bill in
troduced in the state legislature, to pro-
vide for leasing the fair grounds for the
purpose of holding running races. M. w.
Savage, the well-known horse breeder.
and owner of Dan Patch, Directum, and
other famous harness horses, puts him
self on record in the following open,
letter: .5 a.@4,5 .@.4@ ry55s s s'a13zS.
|, TO the Editor of Tho, Journal II
!: desire to be understood as emphatical]y and
everlasttngly opposed to the passage by our legis
iature of any bill that VIII authorize gambling
IN connection with horse racing in our state
The bill now trying to creep through under cover
Is entitled "a bill to encourage the breeding Of
thoroughbred horses and to provide for and
regulate the holding of race meetings. Any
intelligent man VINO will make investigation will
quickly see that the bill Is simply in the Interest
"t outside parties who want to establish run
ming horse, pool selling institution In our midst
ana these men seem to think that Minnesota peo-
pie are foolish enough to be blinded in their
offer Of $500 per year to be added as extra
premium at the fair for farm products 1t GER
tainly cannot be true that the farmers of our
state are willing to assume the responsibility OF
establishing and legallzing one Of the most pro-
nounced types of gambling y II this bill is
passed, 1t must be passed By large vote Of
country MEMBERS and if you are opposed to the
measure you ought to write to your member of
the legislature and express your conviction on
the subject. ESsG'3'4 .'.. s..
certain
of horse which is used almost exclusively in this
country for running where pools are sold
minnesota does not raise horses of this breed,
ana never will to any extent. and bill to
encourage the breeding = of + Thoroughbred"
horses is too ridiculous for serious considera-
ton. There would be some merit in a bill to
encourage the breeding Of Clydesdales or Perch
eron- Nor1nsns or carriage or driving horses, or
even mules. but to pass bill to encourage the
breeding Of just the kind of horse that is
OF little value in our state, simply proves that
there is a hidden motive in this bill. I believe
that it will be very detrimental to the best in
terests of the trotting horse breeders If this
bill is passed.
Since gambling on horses races has been
abolished In our state there has been better
class OF people evinrfng all interest in horse
racing at our fair, and the attendance has been
much larger. Every one will admit that the
horse Is a noble animal, but he has been cursed
Ill his efforts on the race" course by the pool
selling crowd where races are decided by the
amount of money in the pool box. In our state
we have decided that this crowd shall keep their
hands OF, and that races shall be honest and
square with the best horse winning.
There is not man, woman or child that
does not enjoy an honestly contested race; and
as proof, all you have to do is to look at the
race track when the horses called. There
can be no wrong in horse of this kind.
and believe in keeping the sport entirely free
OF the gambling clement and then we can depend
on the better class Of people attending racing
III large and increasing numbers
JUST as sure as the attendance increases, a
mucn larger denlend will be created for trotting
bred horses, not only for racing purposes, but
for fine drivers, because people cannot attend
square racing without taking personal In
terest In the horse himself and this will lead to
more people owning high class horses. feel
sure that the defeat Of this bill will be for the
best interests of the farmers, horse breeders and
the public in general. I have invested consid-
cradle money in horse breeding farm. which is
located near Minneapolis, and I hope never to
see the day when pool selling will be again
| allowed at any horse races in our state. .
- love a: good horse and intend to breed the
| best and fastest ones possible, but I am opposed
to the gambling attachment called pool selling.
which this bill is trying to force us.
hope this bill will not be passed, and believe
that the people Of Minnesota have too high q
standard to allow outside parties to in here
legalize it on the statute books. As citizen of
the sta te you have vital interest in this bill.
What will you do about it? Very truly yours,
| = II, =. M. w. Savage.
Minneapolis, Mnn., March 25.
H: M. Stocking Condemns It. 81.
The st. Paul horsemen are no less
| emphatic in their: criticisms of the bill
Says Fl. M. Stocking of the Capital City
Driving club: -: ...
| The whole scheme is absolutely the checklist
parallel case can imagine. Suppose a lot OF
| men from some other state should say to the leg
| islature, Here YOU have two nice rooms ur
there In the capitol which you use only a little
while every year for your legislative meeting
| You let. lis have the rooms the rest of the time
and we'll give you $4,000 a year for: them
We want to run nice gambling establishment
and the rooms are we'll situated and fixed for the
business. And while you about it you might
remove any little legal restrictions gambling