Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-23
SPORTING MEN ORGANIZE TO
OPPOSE UNREASONABLE REFORM
NATIONAL LEAGUE BEING FORMED IN NEW YORK TO COMBAT
EFFORTS AT SECURING RADICAL LEGISLATION
Keene, Millionaire Breeder Turman Heads Move
That Proposes Extend Into Every State in the Union
Unfair Restrictions Upon Legitimate Pastimes and
Anusenens No Longer to Be Tolerated
BY JAY DAVIDSON

| his conscience by saying that public
opinion demands it. Now. public opin.
ion may be exactly the reverse of what
the reformer wants, but the public has
no way of expressing it's opinion to
legislators except through petition
The National Sporting league proposes
to present an organized front with a
backing of probably half a million
members, all being legal voters, and
that should certainly stiffen the spines
of the weak members bit.
What harm Is there in going to a
ball game Sunday afternoon or to a
theater Sunday evening? Take any
pleasant Sunday during the summer
and what do you find right here In
New York? A million people moving
out of the city to Coney island, to
Rockaway, to Staten island and to
various parks and beaches and places
of amusement. All these people would
enroll under the banners of personal
liberty"
VIII Extend Over Nation
For the immediate present the league
will be local to New York, but after
its organization in that city and state
it will be branched out into every
state in the union and become national
in its scope. 1t is not intended to pro-
tect any particular branch of sport,
but will enroll all classes in a COM
mon fight for self protection and self
preservation. As indicated by Mr..
Keene, the league will seek to enroll
as members only men of honorable
standing in their community, and in
that way 1t is expected that the in
f1uence of the organization will be
manifestly greater than otherwise. 1t
will not attempt to swing the reform
pendulum to the other extreme to that
which 1t now is swinging, but it's pur-
pose will be to protect legitimate
branches of sports and amusements
from unreasonable restrictions, and, in
fact, to guarantee to every man the
full operation of that portion of the
constitution which gives an American
the right to exercise his own free will
in the choice of his amusements and
recreations and broaden the meaning
of the words. personal liberty"
Angelenos in Line
Although the movement in New York
has not been proposed in California
interviewed upon the subject of organ
izing branch of the league in Los
Angeles to be affiliated with the ma
tional organization, and the suggestion
was received with enthusiastic favor
clearly proving that on this side of the
Rockies the movement will have nc
difficulty in getting it's toes firmly In
the soil 1t is probable that after the
New York society has been permanent
ly organized and put in working order
California will be one of the first states
to be asked to join the league.
This is made more probable by the
fact that such lines OF. legitimate sport
as racing and boxing are the two popu-
Lar partimes In the state and kindred
interest in the welfare of California
sports and pastimes is felt by the New
York sportsmen. New York horsemer
ship 5000 or 1000 miles every fall to race
at Los Angeles and Oakland. and ths
eastern boxing game contributes largely
to the success of that sport on the
coast by sending its topnotchers this
way to fight. The two branches OF
sport are linked more firmly between
New York and California than else
where, and these two states have felt
the sting of the reform lash in greater
degree probably than any other states
In the Union in the last two years.
In taking the stand that sportsmen
of the country have submitted too long
to the unopposed reign of the reform
element In the enactment OF pernicious