Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-09-03
AMERICAN HORSE
NEWS DEPARTMENT
News Items Pertaining to all
Kinds Of Horses are Solicited.
Address Matter for this Department to
G. A. Chapman, Ferrisburgh, Vt.

we reIer 10 the ueplOrdDle ana ue-
testable practice which the summaries
of the races record, of naming race hor
ses after criminals or notorious repro
bates of both sexes. There is scarcely
a day that the reader of the turf press
is not confronted with succession of
Harry K. Thaws, Evelyn Nesbits,
Oscar Wildes, Josephine Pollards, and
others of the same ik which smell to
heaven of foulness. All that seems
necessary is for some social outcast to
transgress the moral and criminal codes
until his or her offences become motor
ious for colossal infamy, and the APP
pearance Of race horses bearing the
name which has been soindellibly brand
ed is sure to follow
1t is shameful thing and one which
we have ever been at loss to account
for. One of the regretable things which
persons of responsibility who ally them
selves with the turf have always to COM
bat is the impression widespread in the
world at large that they have identified
themselves with thing of dubious if
not altogether disreputable character.
In our opinion, after having spent our
life in the turf world, and devoted a
great deal of study to its men and
methods as contrasted with those seen
in other spheres of human endeavor.
horsemen need not fear comparison
with their fellowmen, while the
so-called "demoralizing influences of
the turf are no greater and no less than
can be found in many other places.
Nor will they demoralize any man or
woman who would not have been as
easily demoralized elsewhere.
But, on account of the practice of
"unco quid" to throw discredit upon
the honesty and morality of the racing
world, it behooves every horseman to
use circumspectness in order that the
reproach be undeserved. And for that
reason if no other, there is nothing
which he should more sternly discount
enance than names of horses of the ma
ture referred to. When the critic of
the turf who uses it as an example of
immortality or obliquity, can pick up the
race summaries and be almost sure of
finding horses with such names, can he
be blamed for supposing and preaching
that the people who originally made
them Infamous are regarded with APP
proval upon the turf? In all candor he
cannot
To give such name to horse in fact
places the man who does so in anything
but favorable light. He has either no
comprehension of decency or respect
for things of good report, or else a
cynical disregard for them. This man
personally is of no concern to us except
we cannot but deplore what is either
his misfortune. or his fault, or both.
We are not his keeper and his reputa-
ton is matter of Indifference to us.
But we are, in sense, one of the
keepers of the light-harness turf; it's
reputation is something of great mo-
ment to us, which is our accepted and
avowed duty to keep as clear of stain and
evil as in our power lies. The parade of
horses upon our tracks bearing these
shameful names is something in which
we are concerned; which we would say
plainly is disgrace to it, and which its
governing bodies can and should put a
stop to. If their owners are so lost to
the sense of elementary decency, the
arm of the law should step in and pro-
vide for them bounds which they can
not overstep.
A rule that no horse which bears the
name of notorious criminal or quasi
criminal, male or female, should be
placed upon the books of the American
and National trotting associations and
rigidly enforced. One of the avowed
duties of both these bodies is the pres
ervation of the turf's good name, and
the suppression of anything that brings
scandal upon it. They will be strictly
within their rights and provinces in the
passage and enforcement of such rule,
and the Review hereby respectfully
brings the matter to their attention.
The presence of murderers, prosti-
tutes and outcasts is not knowingly
permitted at our race tracks, and the
presence of horses named for them
upon the tracks is only degree less
henious in affront which it offers tc
those elements of society which we
most desire to attract here.