100 YEARS AGO IN THE SARATOGIAN
Thursday, Feb. 28, 1918. Despite the world war, the Saratoga Racing Association will hold its longest, richest meet to date this August, The Saratogian reports.
The Jockey Club, which governs thoroughbred racing in the U.S., announces its eastern racing season today. The season begins in Maryland at Bowie on April 1 and ends at Belmont Park on September 14. Dates have yet to be announced for Aqueduct.
The Saratoga meet will run for a total of 27 racing days between August 1 and August 31. That will break the old record of 26 days for the popular track.
Saratoga Racing Association secretary A. McL. Earlocker announces that almost every stakes race during the meet will have a bigger purse than last year. The biggest prize this August will be the $30,000 Hopeful stakes, followed by the Grand Union, the United States Hotel and the Travers stakes races at $10,000 apiece. New this year will be the Schuylerville stakes for two year old fillies, with an inaugural purse of $3,000.
Judicial System of Our Country
Now that women have the right to vote in New York State, lecture series have been scheduled across the state to help bring new voters up to speed on the workings of government. In Saratoga Springs, one such series continues today with a talk on “Courts and Justice” by Union College professor Charles N. Waldron at the high school auditorium.
Waldron takes a progressive view on law. He recognizes American law’s roots in the English common law, which he describes as “merely the desire of man to see justice done.
“With the advance of civilization,” Waldron adds, “we see the old laws changing and becoming broader and the courts more just. It would have been impossible for the human race to have advanced without this same advance in the courts.
“But even our present day courts are not perfect. One of the faults most commonly found with it is its slowness and the great expense involved by this very slowness. Also the courts by virtue of their tradition are more apt to consider the property rights over the rights of the man. This is especially so when dealing with labor questions and social legislation.”
Courts must adapt with the times, Waldron advises, since “it is very unwise for the courts to incur the displeasure of a large portion of the people as it tends to weaken the law and this we must have in order to live under present conditions of civilization.” Ultimately, however, “we find back of the courts the power of a nation,” including the military if necessary.