The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-24
SENATOR j. j. SULLJVAN'S
SPEECH
Against Mr., FleisChmans Bill to Change the
Anti.PoOl Law Recently Enacted.

AHtl-H OOl Law heCeutly NHuCtcus
Scarcely was the anti-pool gambling
bill of Mr.. Sullivan passed into law,
until Mr.. Fleischman introduced a bill
to amend by providing for exceptions.
The Fleischman bill was defeated in the
Senate. When the bill came up for pas
sage Senator Sullivan spoke as follows;
1t is only two weeks since the law that
is sought to be amended by this bill,
passed this body, and as yet its work.
ings and it's practical application to the
affairs of the State are unknown to the
people. While that bill was under con.
sideration it was opposed at every stage,
and the amendment sought to be OBJ
tanned by the bill pending, as we'll as va
rious other amendments were offered in
the "House" as we'll as here only to be
peremptorily rejected, and the bill be.
came Law in the face of the most &C.
tive opposition. What is it then that
prompts the introduction of this bill at
this time, and warrants the hope of it be.
coming a lawP Is it that the lobby is
stronger and it's power for manipulation
greaterP II the hope that it will paas is
founded upon that, then am sure, from
what l know of the gentlemen compos.
ing this Senate, that the measure will
fail most signally. But who are they
that are asking for the amendment of
this untried law thus prematurely2 Is it
the industrial masses of our State that
are making this sppeal2 No, Mr.. Pres
ident, that class is satisfied with the law
as it is but is another class of individu-
ais, known as the sporting fraternity,
who toll not, neither do they spin, and
yet they appear on this floor, in costly
garments and fine linen, and with an air
of respeCtability about them, importune
Senators to support this bill. They say
that without pool selling the interest in
horse racing cannot be maintained; good
horses will not be brought into the State,
and associations for the development of
speed and the improvement of horses
will disband. This statement of the
CAGE is not accepted by the horsemen
generally as being correct. l have here
Wallaco's Monthly, a journal devoted
exclusively to the horse interests of the
country, and the official organ of the
Breeders Association, it says "The ella
NOR that the law will ruin the racing in
terests, and that the breeders of fine
stock will have to sell out their estab.
lishments and 60 at something else is all
raised by that class of men who never
bred fine horse in their lives and care
nothing about the horse except as a
gambling machine. Breeders of fine
horses especially look upon their inter.
ests as being greatly improved by the
enactment of this law. Indeed it was
the breeding interests in ContradistinC-
ton to the gambling interests that seCur.
ed its passage. But let US admit that it
will iUiure the breeding interest What
then2 Why, let it iDjure, let it destroy,
let it utterly annihilate any interest that
is dependent upon gambling for success,
As a people we can afford to have every
stud.farm in the country sold out by the
Sheriff rather than to have our sons,and
our wives, and our daughters become ia
miliar with gamblers and their praCti-
Ces." This legislature only few weeks
ago branded the whole business of pool
selling as being wrong, anywhere and
everywhere, no matter by whom con-
Quoted, and this bill, which is cham
pioned by the Senator from Hamilton,
asks us to reverse that decision, and le-
galize and protect by law, pool sellers,
when conducting their nefarious busi-
ness In public, on grounds controlled ny
trotting associations.
Now, then, if it is wrong to engage in
or carry on the business in any room
or building, or any portion thereof, it if
certainly more offensive to public NOR
ais and good government, and to al
sense of decenCy and propriety, to allow
the business TO be conducted openly or
public grounds, though such grounds are
controlled by trotting associations. Be
sides. the management of those associa
tions have not been such as to impress
the general public with an overwhelm
ing degree of faith in their honesty. Or
account of palpable thievery of horse
Jockeys and and pool sellers during th'
last races at Cleveland one race had t
be declared off altogether, as the rascal
ity was 80 bold and glaring that an out
ragged public would not put up with it
and 30 give the business the semblanc'
Of honesty the judges declared the rae
off. The Cleveland LEADER Of July 2
said of the last races In that city: "
there is no remedy for this sort Of swim
ding under the present law, new law
should be enacted, and pool sellin
should be prohibited even at cost 9
putting stop to horse racing in Ohio
The decision of the Judge declared tha
| tba 1,1O trok uao r,,n In tha intaraat +