New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-10
RETTIyG ON R1CE-TR1CKS

There is trouble in store for the race-cOurses
in and near New York. 1t is not likely that
any Supreme Court justice will grant njunc-
tons to protect the bOOkmakers this year, nor
that district attorneys and police officials will
calmly ignore the persistent, defiant violation
of law in the way that was seen last year. AT
Jerome Park in 1885 the bookmakers were not
INSTRUCTED in their operations AT SheePshead
Bay on the first day or two of the June meeting
open betting was suppressed, but then some
mysterious influence waa set at work, and
French pools, auction pools and book betting
went on merry without check or hindrance.
At Brighton Beach the COney Island police
made few spasmodic and hysterical efforts to
stop betting, but some means was found that
chilled their zeal, and month after month law
| breaking in a most fragrant and offensive form
was practised on great scale for six days of
every week. The general opinion of wcll-in-
formed men is that great deal of bribery was
necessary in Kings County to secure immunity
for the booksellers. This is not a comfortable
year for bribe- givers or blibe-takcrs, and cor
ruption funds may not prove profitable to
handle during the racing season of 1856.
All the officials charged with the administra-
ton Of the law in Kings County may be willing
70 go into court and prove that their hands are
clean. But how can they keep their peace of
mind when they know the common belief that
they are paid not to modest the booksellers
They can certainly make no defence or excuse
for their inaction. Sworn to enforce the law,
they are aware that in the racing season it ia
broken in the most audacious and demora'izing
fashion week after week and month alter month
at Brighton Beach. Such pernciors de-
reelection of duty brings into contempt not only
the law but also every official responsible for
its enforcement. There is no statute which is
so boldly AMI unscrupulously deiied as that
against poolsellng The men who sell liquor
on Sunday or otherwise transgress the excise
law make some pretence Of coy ering their mis-
demeanors from the public gaze. At Brighton
Beach and Sheepshead Bay poolseling goes
Oh without the slightest attempt at cOncealment
in the presence of thousands of witnesses. The
law breakers do not court retirement. They
adront notice, they welcome publicity in every
way.
This is certainly wrong and it should be
stopped. The law should be repealed or re-
spccted. The men in Office who hout their
oaths by permitting the present state OF things
cannot expect that the orderly majority OF cIti-
zens will permit these scandals and abuses to
continue. The public is patient, but its patience
is not invncibe. If our great jockey clubs had
shown disposition TO obey the law SO long as
it remained a law. and had united in an intelli
gent, earnest effort to induce the Legislature to
amend it, they wonld be better Oft to-day.
Poolselling if strictly confined to the racing
grounds of properly chartered racing ass0cla-
tons and to race days exclusively would not do
a 1.-THE of the harm that the poolrooms in the
cities and the gambling at Brighton Beach now
do Racing can never prosper without betting.
but such racing as that ut Brighton Beach
ought never to prosper. The turf should be
kept within decent aud moderate limits and
should be conducted hon0rably and with due
respect to law, or 1t becomes the poisonous
spring of evils unnumbered. Our jockey clubs
have invited disaster by their liberation of the
shuttle board game at Brighton. If theJ had
adopted the rule long ago that horses run at
Brighton should not be allowed on their
tracks, they would be far stronger now, and
their appeals to the Legislature would deserve
attention But when friud is allowed to run
riot it is not surprising that the legislators at
Albany tul Il deaf ear to arguments in favor of
an amendment of the present pool law. 1t is
true also that many politicians of Il low grade
profit by the present system OF Undertaking
They use their " influence" to protect the pool
sellers, and, of course, they do not go unre-
wardcd. But they may see day of reckoning
Jaehne and his associates waxed fat in 1854
They are not happy now.