The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1891-11-21
ELDER wv. M'GARvEY.
Calls Attention to- Racing,
Pool Selling and
Gambling.

place to the following from the Lex
ington Transcript:
Editor Transcript As a teacher of
young men, a preacher of the Gospel
and an office-bearer in the church of
God, it is the work of my life to pro-
mote the moral and spiritual good of
the community in which l live. In
this work l have now gone in and
out among the people of Lexington
for over thirty years, and have grown
old in serving them to the best of my
ability / think, therefore, that while
many other men, representing vari-
Gus parties and sentiments, are al
lowed to speak to the people through
the daily papers, it will not appear
presumptuous In me to be heard in
reference to some matters which are
of vital interest to this community
l have observed that when an as
signment was recently made by the
Racing Association for a large in
debtedness, it was spoken of by our
daily papers as a serious misfortune,
and the possibility of a discontinue
anc Of the races, as great calamity
to the community L wondered, and
/ still wonder, how it is possible that
men who are presumed to have the
moral welfare of the community at
heart could so speak. 1t is possible
that the money which racing brings
to the town can be regarded by men
in their senses as overbalancing all
the moral corruption which it brings
in it's train? Every body knows that
the racing business makes gamblers
out of multitudes of our young men,
and some of our women; gambling
breeds many vices; that the semi
annual meetings of the racing asso-
Citations bring with them large in
flux of swindlers, pickpockets, strum-
pets, and every other vile character,
to poison the moral atmosphere of
the city. How then could the disso-
luton of such associations be a ca
lamity unless horses and money out
weigh decency, morality and souls of
men?
| have read much in our papers
about the alleged corruption in the
recent primary election, and much
about the Importance of securing a
Mayor and Council who will not
squander the city's funds; but have
not seen a word of remonstrance
against an open violation Of statute
law by our council, in licensing gam
bling by the selling of pools. have
seen no words of applause for the
noble Judge of our Circuit Court who
charged the grand jury TO indict the
city for this crime, or of the jurymen
who obeyed his instructions. When
an individual is indicted for violation
of the statutes governing morals, it
is considered disgrace to him; why
is it not disgrace when done by a
corporation? Is it because money
and horses have blunted our moral |
perceptions? Then the quicker we
get rid of that phase Of sthe horse |
business, the better for decency, |
morality, honesty and the observance
of the law.
am not voter in the city, and |
my taxable property lies outside the |
city limits; but all my work and all |
my interests are so completely iden- |
titled with the city as though my resi-
dence were on Cheapside. l will !
venture therefore to ask, whether it |
is expected Of the new city council |
that they will continue to license
gambling in case the pending indict-
ment shall not be sustained.
Have the writer's for our papers |
and our city rulers no boys of their
own, who are liable to be made gam
blers, drunkards, debauches, and
vagabonds by the way our affairs are
being managed? Have they no
daughters, who are likely to become
wives of young men whom we are
thus running? If not, do they care
nothing for those of us who have?
Do they know the moral status of the |
young men Of this city? Have they |
no sympathy for the broken hearts
of fathers and mothers, who mourn |
the wreck of young lives in their
households and weep over hopeless
graves which they have had to dig in |
the cemetery? 1t seems to me that |
there is cause to make the very |
stones in our streets to cry out |
against the multitudinous vices which |
are tacitly encouraged by those who
should be the guardians of public
virtue. But / suppose l have said
enough at present. If anyone can
give a sober answer to the questions
when have propounded, shall be
glad to hear it. And let all who read
this take notice that l speak not for |
myself alone. There are slumbering
fires in the hearts of host of good |
men and women in this city, as they |
contemplate the facts of which have
spoken, and many others of like ma
ture ,land their prayers go up night and
day into the easr of that same God |
who sent down fire and birthstone on
Sodom and Gomorrah.
j. w. MCCARTNEY.