New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-22
AMONG THE JOCKEY CLUBS.
pRoBLEMs BEFORE THE JOCKEY CLUBS!

Ing decision Of Judge Gildersleeye rendered sho otner
dag, any bootbiack or newsboy any three mono
swindier and thimbe-Sgger, indeed any SORT OF PCT
son who gains dsrepufable and deoasng hveinoou
by cheating and neeeing bis felow-man' may proceed
TO do a pool business anywhere In this CITY on ana
aor May 49, up the ciose Of the racing season. on
October IS The natural inference nom this decision
Il that n IL no violation Of the statutes Of the State
including tho sccaed Ives Pool law, for any person
70 receive bet from any other csrson, the person
receiving the bet to the transparent trick of
falsely asserting that the bet so received is to be
placed on some horse at some track on regularly,
authorized race day. BY the terms Of the Ives Pool
law betting only legal on the tracks Of regularly
organized associations regular race days. and the
number OF those days Is limited to moderate total.
IT was, Of course, the intention Of the Legisiat-
ure In passing this bill, and the purpose
of the jockey clubs in supporting IT, to suppress en-
trey every form Of betting on races outside OF the
gates of the courses. Those who prepared the Dill
ana those who advocated it sought by the use OF the
elearcst English at their command TO make 1t crime
for any one TO open pool-room. or to DO any poor
business outside Of the race courses Judge Giber
sleeves decision not reversed appeal throws open
the hootgates Of evil.
IL ia NOT betting on the race tracks which has been
the cause Of the ruin Of so many clerks ana young
men of small salaries and has brought abeut so many
petty thefts from employers. The men who uaNoi
several miles to attend the races who have % meet
the expenses Of fares, grand stsnd dcket ana '
other incidental OUTLAWS inevitable 10 days sport
can, In most cases. abundantly anord 70 lose ,ho
amounts which they may in betting at the track~
IL takes time as well money. to 60 to see an a'er
poons racing on the grounds Of any one Of our grcae
associations Men living on small salaries ano earn
ing their bread laboousy by the sweat OF eir pro"s
cannot generally get hsholidays oftener than once
q week, and therefore only on one day IN One "eeA
have they an opportunity to witness racing ana 70 1850
money ON the racing grounds. But ciy poorr'oln
Is omen six days In the week; and apparently under
Judge Gildersleeve's decision, city poohroom may
he oraped on every corner IL it confines itself 70 so
called oornuissIons business. We may have pool
rooms in every nquorsaloon In Now
York. and there about ten tnousSuu
bouor saloons II every barkeeper II every mixer Vi
drinks IL every sweeper and cieaner-out Oh uie eos
shons has the right under shis remarkable mterpret%
,tor ~ the law TO take bet race simply on the
..,.rt.on that the bet is on commission" ana Ine
Is TO be actually wagered tho track on wnicn
he race Is to be run, the poolroom business WIZ OSoo
immediately the most extensive, the most general
rs well as the most oorrupting ana injurious Vi all
forms Of gambling and speculation. III every Oin00
how. Il every young clerk, II every man OF Narrow
means has only few stops to go at any hour IN inc
day IN order TO put up 1ew cents or lew 0onae
an n ranexhat may be run a hundred miles nom tne
eity and the keeper Of any dram shop Can rO0ei'o
his bes legally rambling VIII be multiplied 70 an ap
Mailing extent, and its effects win be seen In every
part Of the State.
n seams hardly possible that such Interpretation
Of the statutes as they stand can DO gooo Jaw.
1t is certainly anything but good common senso'
e the plain duty Of those interested In preventing
doluee OF vice and crime from ovespreadng ns 'sAu
ard all parts Of the state to secure prompt appea
from Judge GIldersaeeves ruling IL the hgheso
courts shall sustain this Interpretation, the OWLS Oh
batting VIII become so portentous that public senu
ment win be speedily aroused which VIII suppress ali
racing and close every course IN the state hence
the Jockey clubs ought 10 act quickly ana with eheIS
TO stem the rising tide of mischief decision sot
Ting the whole question should be obtained on appeal
at te earliest possible moment 1t Is now 50 late N
the session of the NewYork Legislature that 1t wona
probably be impossible 30 got any measure through
that body which would do away with the effects OF
tSe (,ldersleeyc decision. Such bill might De 90
tanned IN the next session. but the condition OF ouSl
ness at Albany is such that 1t would be wel[mgn
hopeless task to attempt to got through anySolns u
the sort bs year. Whist them ought the Jockey clubs
to dol
This nan has been suggested and seriously discussed
IN some quarters That the clubs withhold all the entries
10 their races from publication, and only print them
IN the osBciaI programmes, which Will be sold no
where else except within the gates OF their grounds
III the poorooms cannot get possession Oh me On
tries they can do no business. and the CLUBS nave a
perfect right to keep their entries In their own pos
session. and not to give them out except In the racing
afternoons and within the borders Of their own prop
artv Rut ~ tho lists of the competitors for the
great stakes and the big purses arc not published In
the morning papers on race days. an immense failing
of in the amount of attention PAID to the turi VIII
be Immediately apparent Admirers OF thorouehpreds
want 10 know before they so TO the race-racK Wnat
horses are to compete, and under what conditions
<..n- pffv ~
at ALL Hence this plan may be dismissed at once
as impraccabie for It could not but result In enor-
nous losses to the Jockey clubs The attendance on
sny great race always depends on the amount OF
publicity given to It In advance and on the extent
OF public discussion which preeedes IT. Any scheme
no induce people 10 &C to Monmouth PARK Sheepshead
Bay. Gravesend, westchester or Jerome Park WIN
out their knowing In advance the sort OF contests
that they would see and the quality and merits Oh
the competitors would be futile effort. The only
hope of the racing organizations must lie hrst In the
courts. next In the Legislature And they cannot
afford to delay.
The insolent and arrogant plan Of the bookmakers
10 compel the Jockey clubs to reduce the price OF
bookrn akers stands 10 some such absurd sum as 90
ss5 or even $50 day when they are willing TO pay
SIS day for the privileges Of s1ch miserable Bot
ttns rs goes on ut Clifton and Gutenberg meets with
no sympsthy approval outside OF the ranks OF tne
,oohmskers' alliances and associates. II bookmaknl
had not been highly profitable iu previous seasons
whence would como tho immense income which the
prominent members Of the fraternity are expendinE
extrayaxantly on all hands, BookmaRers have sho
up ike mushrooms One day they were iost 70 view
an gloom ana obscurty the next they were plump ano
,,sS and vigorous and Haunting scores of them have
risen from absolute desutution and poverty TO wealth
and the possession Of racing stables within few years
and they have been able to accumulate riches ever
when under the old state of thlDgs when betting wa
illegal they were compelled to pay $3.50 or $500
day to various blackmaleT; and in moro recent year
when the rate fsr bookmahsrs stand has peen Sio'
: aav or more There Is no excuse or reason To-
saating by ono dollar the charge for bookmakers
stands on the great tracks and the associations vii
stand together in this matter they are absolutely Ger