The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
MAJOR DELMARs. GOLD cur.
Case TO no Heard Next Month War
Against Ringers.

luCft WnI Ot u uBuAtuM ~ hHnS Oh WIG
charge that E.. Z. Snhathers with Major
Delmsr Won the Memphis gold cup from
Lou Dillon by unfair methods. The case
will be heard at the meeting Of the board OF
review. National Trotting Association. in
this city early next month. The maker OF
the charges is the Memphis Racing Associa-
ton, through its former secretary. Murray
Howe. c. G. X. Billings owns the track.
and the cries Of fraud rave been regarded
by some as a continuation before the trotting
tribunal Of a fierce rivalry that has ex-
listed between Smathers and Billings as
amateur reinsmen.
The case probably will be the most talked
OF proceeding at the board OF review meet
ing, Just as the case against Jamee Butler
was last fall. At hat time the National
Trotting Horse Association was the in
stigator of the action, and 1t sought to
recover winnings by the Eastview string
of some $4,000, on h ground that Monroe
Salisbury, when under suspension, had an
interest in the Butler horses. The National
Trotting Horse Association lost the case.
This time the only interest OF the associa-
ton is to sift thoroughly the sensational
case. As Major johnson. the president,
has said. The exact condition OF Major
Delmar and Lou Dillon on the day Of the
Memphis gold cup race must be estab-
A preliminary hearing in the spring went
over to give the complalnants time to bring
together their witnesses. The delay had
the vigorous opposition OF the Smathers
partv
Old timers at the board OF review meeting
expect that Smathers will be exonerated,
and, after the civil courts follow the lead,
he will obtain the gold cup without having
to give a bond TO the Sheriff. who r~eplevined
the trophy at the start OF the action.
The board Of gppeals OF the Americas
Trotting Association will meet In Chicago
simultaneously with the New York meeting
OF the board of review. A, usual. the hear
ing OF cases against ringers. will take up
the time of both courts Horses and men,
when caught in the act. will be duly ex-
PEELED. A batch OF the rascale receive
this punishment each year. tt worst
feature is that under new names the
rascals will bob up again next season. TO
repeat their raids on the p~oolboxes and
the purses at new circuits. There are now
so many circuits that the ringers, BY jump
ing abou actively, manage to get a long
rope before being In each instance run
down and expelled.
On the running turf ringing cases are
~infrequent, due TO the superior Hneane OF
identification offered by licenses and regis
tration. A license for all drivers and the
compulsory registration Of all light harness
race horses, il the two associations would
unite in the matter, would end the plague
OF ringers. A vigorous editorial on the
need OF such dual action Ia in Sports OF the
Times The plea is in part:
The license system was very feebly tried
by the National Trotting Association for
one season. but fell to the ground because
il was not fully enforced and principally
because the American Association did not
follow suit. A sentimental objection was
raised that there were a large number OF
owners who liked to drive their own horses,
who would not like to take out licenses and
thus be looked upon as straight professional
drivers. From the leading professional
trainers there was never any protest AGAINST
the system. and why should there be? Nearly
all the trade of this or any other country is
done by license. Nine-tenths Of the retail
trade have to take out licenses and while
many Of them are principally designed as
a source OF revenue. they are also used a.
a power to punish and are Withdrawn on
proof that the holder has violated the con-
ditions. The wealthy corporation with its
long list Of distin Euished directors has to
take out a charter from the State which il
simply a license and 1t can be WITHDRAW
il the corporation does not comply with the
law. Is the trOtting horse driver a superior
execution to his confreres either of the
running turf or the recognized avenues of
trade1
But outside of the thoroughbred turf and
the commercial world in every country
outside OF the continent Of America where
~trotting sport exists. the trainer and driver
have to be licensed and we have heard Of
M complaints. In New Zealand and Aus
tralia no driver can compete on any REGULAR
track unless he has a license Many eminent
American drivers have settled in Germany.
Austria and Russia and they all have to ave
licenses, and 1t need hardly be said that so
have the natives. With a perfect license
system, the rinrer cannot long survive for
the DIR, yer once derived Of lis license could
not start. II he showed the old license it
would at once expose him and without a
new one he could not start. while a vigilant
secretary in possession of the ofacial list Of
licensed drivers would soon he able to dis
cover a bogus OF forced license. So much for
and AGAINST license.
Ipgistration is the cnectuai Car that the
American Jockey Club at once enforced after
il purchased the copyright and good VIII
Of the American Thoroughbred Stud Book
from the late col. Bruce. Then the edict
went forth: no entry would be received or
any horse allowed to start unless 1t had been
previously re gi,tcr0d. Now last some OF our
%trottiug horss friends VINO oal see no good in
the tnoroughbTAd camp should Immediately
begin TO close their ears, il will NC wei to
remark that every country where tTotting
sport -,.-ts outside If America has "A very
strict registration system. Every trOtter
bought for expectation TO Europe. II int nded
To he Canpaigued. must have n certificate OF
Identification issued by an authorized agent
of the National Trotting Association. aud il il
to the credit OF the association tnat there are
only two known Instances where these Ger
t.ncates were procure by false eprts :, ntHtiOn
aud ~ both cases the crime was speedily
discovered In on cas- tl' Cllrrit spent zine
months in a &c nIHn prison, paid 81 ZOO fine
and had his horse Coniiscated. and in the
other the guilty parties Just mnnagedtOCsCap
from France TO England by the night boat,
missing arrest by u few hours. These two
examples had such a dttCrr Mt cncct that
during the last decade In Europe The re has
been only ono other suspected case of ringing.
Leaving the cases OF exported horses, in
Europe and the Antipodes all native horses
must he r. ;istr red be foTo they can compete
In trotting races and II it can be done there
1t can I've done here.
But with no ringing cases what would
become Of the Two couTtsi lte answer
Is that they wo Id increase in usefulness
and in the power to b.ild up the best in
the trottlng b RI. he ending OF that semi
nnn nj sCanHaI Pho nuhliahinO IF a Ioon