The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-03

have been ruined, others rendered
vicious. The second consideration is
that the business has been a profitable
one for you and that you have realized
large gains. Consequently no light
penalty would deter you from cOntinu-
ing the business. The third cOnsidera-
ton is that you have persisted for a
long time in open defiance of law; you
have been warned from this bench at
nearly every term of court, but you
have disregarded the warming, and you
preferred to listen to other counsel and
to defy the court and the law"
To show the true character of this
sO-called agricultural institution, the
Sporting World, of February 9TH, says
editorially:
las to the future of the Clifton
course, nothing definite has been deter
mined upon by it's owners. 1t will,
without doubt, remain closed until
next fall. Without betting, the assO-
citation, Of course, lost money every
day it's track was kept open. AS there
was no immediate prospect of it's being
allowed to do business with an open
betting ring, it resolved to close up for
the time being. 1t will take a long
time for the association to recover its
lost prestige on account of its action
In shutting down without proper con
sideratiOn for parties who had sup
ported 1t for many years past"
The race tracks are simply gambling
bells, and the moment betting is really
prohibited that settles 1.-THE patrons
and promoters adjourn to the faro
banks and clubs and dives of the city.
The extent to which the public morals
have been debauChed by this institu-
ton is something appalling.
/. 1t has debauChed the State itself.
The sovereign, law-making power has
entered partnership with the gambler
pooled issues, 50 to speak, with them.
2. It has thrown it's cursed shadow
across the press of the country. Our
great newspapers are daily filled with
the dOings of these gamblers. Special
editions OF Our evening papers even are
issued to report the results of the days
drawings. They are Haunted in great
headlines. The young and old must
read. Scores OF young men are thus
lured from their work and go straight
to the devil. We ScrupulOuSly sup
press now from the mails even an ad-
vertisement of the lottery. But columns
of sensational gambling news of race
tracks are published daily with results
that touch the life of every block of
this city. Even that New York daily,
| which makes a speciality of it's religion
and trades i'll piety, also makes a
speciality of this species of gambling
hell news and advertising. It's editor
is evidently 50 fascinated by this
mania hat he sees no inconsistency in
biblical quotations riding astraddle be-
hind the jockey of the winning horse,
though run on a race track owned by
| gamblars, run i'll the interest of gamb-
lers, to the eternal damnatiOn of the
public.
3. The church itself is not free from
this shadow. Such men as the distin-
guished editor above referred to are
leading members in our best churches.
They sit high IN the synagOgues on
Sunday and help drag young men
down to ruin during the week by their
support of thiS-the most popular
form of gambling.
4. 1t debaucheS the people by thou
sands and hundreds of thousands.
There is scarcely a young man ruined
in this town but that you a detect
on his SmirChed character somewhere
the smell of a horse jockey. At the
race track the worst elements of every
class of society may be found. This is
the stamping ground on which the
prostitutes from the public brothel
touch elbows with their swift sisters
who lead the 400" Here the dregs
and the froth of human society mingle
in the wild excitement of the demOc-
racy of human passion. Call it so
many fine names as you please, but
the race track 8tjnEs. 1t smells from
beer to wine, from champagne to gin
and rum. 1t smells of tobacco and
profanity. 1t smells of the faro, kennel
and br0thel, whose inmates are it's
daily votaries and slaves. The stencil
permeates the life of the city, poison
ing the air of stables, shops, streets,
homes. It's victims number thousands
piled on thousands. 1t is time the
Christian manhood of the century
should arise and strike down this dam.
nation.