| 124Chicago Tribune 6/4
The Proposed Cowboy Race.
Mr. John G. Shortall, President of the Humane
Society, has addressed the following letter to Mr.
Harvey Weir, manager of the proposed cowboy
race, which speaks for itself:
CHICAGO, May 27, 1893. - Mr. Harvey Weir, Secretary,
Chadron, Neb.-Dear Sir: May I ask your
attention to the following law: "Whoever shall
be guilty of cruelty to any animal in any of the
ways mentioned in this section shall be fined not
less than $3 nor more than $200-viz.:
"First-By overloading, overdriving, overworking,
cruelly beating, torturing, tormenting,
mutilating, or cruelly killing any animal, or
causing or knowingly allowing the same to be
done."
(Rev. Stat. III. Crim. Code-Chap. 38, Div.
1, Sec. 78.)
See also city ordinances (Chicago, 1890), Sec.
2,199, in which the same law is enacted.
Well - know veterinary surgeons state to me,
and will testify if necessary, that it is not possible
to make a contest of endurance and speed between
horses for fifty miles, much less 700, continuously
without the infliction of great suffering
upon the contesting animals.
When this fifty miles is increased to 700 it appears
to this civilization of ours to be most cruel
and intolerable. But when, as it is reported, in
the present proposed race from Chadron to Chicago,
the result to be attained by the contesting
men is a little éclat and $1,500, all this long
procession of struggle, agony, and death not only
appears most unjustifiable but it clearly demands
he enforcement to the uttermost of the laws violated.
Such violation of law being from hour to hour
arrest after arrest of the same individual can and
will be made. I may also add that all conspirators
in and abettors of such violation of the law
will be arrested as found and punished equally
with the principals.
And now having discussed the legal side, may I
venture a word of pleading upon the moral side
of the case? The long distance race run last
summer between Berlin and Vienna-a matter
of, I believe, some 300 miles-in which many
noble animals were ridden to death, has aroused
a feeling of indignation throughout the civilized
world-England, France, America, universally;
Germany and Austria as far as they openly dared-
and when it was declared in some of the newspapers
some months ago that a similar race was
contemplated here the protest against it was expressed
with most emphatic force. That our country,
claiming to lead the way in the humanities,
should never be disgraced by such a spectacle-
these are the words; and this society has been
called upon by nearly every State in the Union
to interfere.
Now, I beg of you, gentlemen, to listen to this
voice, no matter whether you know it to be right
or deem it to be wrong. Give up this race like
kind gentlemen and good citizens-it is easy for
men who are brave and manly to withdraw from
a false position-and come to us, see our great
epitome of the civilization of the age in such a
way that we can welcome you, shake hands with
you, and admire you. Yours truly,
JOHN G. SHORTALL,
President Illinois Humane Society.
| 124The Proposed Cowboy Kace.
Mr. John G. Shortall, President of the Humane Society, has addressed the following letter to Mr. Harvey Weir, manager of the proposed cowboy race, which speaks for itself:
CHICAGO, May 27, 1893. - Mr. Harvey Weir, Secretary, Chadron, Neb.-Dear Sir: May I ask your attention to the following law: "Whoever shall tormenting, be guilty of cruelty to any animal in any of the ways mentioned in this section shall be fined not less than $3 nor more than $200-viz.:
"First-By overloading, overdriving, overworking, cruelly beating, torturing, mutilating, or cruelly killing any animal, or causing or knowingly allowing the same to be done."
(Rev. Stat. III. Crim. Code-Chap. 38, Div. 1, Sec. 78.)
See also city ordinances (Chicago, 1890), Sec. 2,199, in which the same law is enacted.
Well - know veterinary surgeons state to me, and will testify if necessary, that it is not possible to make a contest of endurance and speed between horses for fifty miles, much less 700, continuously without the infliction of great suffering upon the contesting animals. When this fifty miles is increased to 700 it appears to this civilization of ours to be most cruel And intolerable. But when, as it is reported, in the present proposed race from Chadron to Chicago, the result to be attained by the contesting men is a little éclat and $1,500, all this long procession of struggle, agony, and death not only appears most unjustifiable but it clearly demands he enforcement to the uttermost of the laws violated.
Such violation of law being from hour to hour arrest after arrest of the same individual can and will be made. I may also add that all conspirators in and abettors of such violation of the law will be arrested as found and punished equally with the principals.
And now having discussed the legal side, may I venture a word of pleading upon the moral side of the case? The long distance race run last summer between Berlin and Vienna-a matter of, I believe, some 300 miles-in which many noble animals were ridden to death, has aroused a feeling of indignation throughout the civilized world-England, France, America, universally; Germany and Austria as far as they openly dared- and when it was declared in some of the newspapers some months ago that a similar race was contemplated here the protest against it was expressed with most emphatic force. That our country, claiming to lead the way in the humanities, should never be disgraced by such a spectacle- these are the words; and this society has been called upon by nearly every State in the Union to interfere. Now, I beg of you, gentlemen, to listen to this voice, no matter whether you know it to be right or deem it to be wrong. Give up this race like kind gentlemen and good citizens-it is easy for men who are brave and manly to withdraw from a false position-and come to us, see our great epitome of the civilization of the age in such a way that we can welcome you, shake hands with you, and admire you. Yours truly,
JOHN G. SHOORTAL
President Illinois Humane Society.
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