The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-11-19

Horseraclng cannot be killed. II IS too
OLD and tough. The word tough IS used
here in its hbrous and not in its moral
sense. There is about It that which
makes a universal and everlasting appeal
The spirit Of horseracing has been part
Of human nature for period that goes
far back beyond the memory OF Percy
Taylor. or even that OF Capt. Billy VIII
hanson
The question whether one horse can run
faster than another viii remain debatable
until the species becomes as extinct as the
dodo, and there IS no immediate fear OF
that Horseracing IN some form or other
Viii survive. Il IS in a bad way in this
country just now. That Il a condition
and not matter Of doubtful diagnosis.
The cause OF the malady IS deep seated
ard hard 10 get al. but % everybody who
has the good OF the sport at heart and
that means everybody who has formed its
acquaintance through whatever motive
has a remedy 10 suggest The higher
idealists are OF the opinion that the life
o. the sport can be saved only through
the total elimination Of what Is commonly
known as the gambling feature" but
purveyOrs OF racing. even at points where
Il has been considered more OF a sentiment
than a business. have only too emphat-
ically admitted by incontinently laying
down " that this is impracticable.
Betting is a vital principle IN racing.
and has been since the time when Ben
Hur fooled a chariot around the arena at
Antioch.
any sport 10 be successful IN this eoun-
A. - Ia
or less extent. This industrialization Of
horseracing necessitates the ievying OF
contributions on those who are specula-
lively inclined. These contributions. dis
tributed n purses and stakes and IN the
maintenance OF racecourses. have en-
couraged the work OF " improving tbs
breed of horses to the point OF over
production.
1t has been going on FOR many years IN
this country. The man who owns blue
grass lands has kept On breeding thor
oughbreds and sending them to market.
The man who sees more money IN racing
thoroughbreds than IA any other business
has kept on buying them. The former
has no. known. Of course. The latter
has not thought When the man who
owns a coal mine begins 10 notice that the
people are beginning 20 use kerosene for
fuel he will limit his output and look
about for an oil well. The man who mar
kets.coal will be more conservative IN his
purchases. You naturally would think
that the owner o. the bluegrass lands
would go in for beef cattle and rutabagas
and that the man who would bend the
current Of his capital ia the direction Of
thoroughbreds would switch 20 more
sable commodity. but they don't They
keep on breeding at the same expense and
buying at the same price.
The owner is nearer 10 the depot OF sup
plies. and ono would expect him to keep
a better line on the trend of racing affairs.
hut he never appears 10 reason. He knows
little Of the troubles which heset those
upon whom he depends TO furnish racing
opportlmities. When things racing are
running smoothly he never Is consulted
When internal strife comes up he Is asked
20 align himself on one side or the otheT'
and generally be may be depended upon
70 make the wrong guess. With every
thing at stake he Will allow the most trlF-
iai circumstance OF ancient history 10
stand between him ana his own interests.
The owner OF the racehorse for revenue
"a simple minded and shortsighted' II
REQUIRES an X ray operation to show nm
,iv,on which side % hts bread the butter
is sneared. Anything that "a Calculate"
10 bring about change appeals 10 NM
He will sign a petition one day 10 put
a man in jan and another the next day 70
get him out, and confess afterwards that
he did not read either. He takes his I'D
from the last one that speaks 10 him.
The man with the horse has no more 70
So with the present racing proposition
than the man with the hoe has to DO with
the harvester trust. yet he has taken his
tide and is using all his influence to clean
,u+ the side 10 which he has opposed
himself. even though the Obliteration OF
one or the other may mean the obliterahon
y himself.
The plan proposed by the idealists means
return 10 first principles, wherein only
gentlemen owned raCehorses and only gem
tlemen bet on them. There is no provis-
ION IA this for the disposal OF surplus
CAPITAL and material. nor for the count
less horde that has made racing its means
or getting along IN the world
7, IS pleasant for one who sits this far
back and looks at It 10 contemplate a re-
turn to the DAYS when Andrew jackson
raced horses and refused 10 take bet
from anyone TO whom he had not been
properly introduced. or 10 the later days
Of cant. COttrell. who thought no gentle
man should accept better than even
money even though he could set better
Than . 10 /. But, dropping from the
sublime 10 the ridiculous. what are you
eoigg 10 do with this outitr
The only thing those who would annihi-
late racing know about It IS the betting adj
Juuct They have proved 20 various sets