New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-21
A HARD BLOW TO THE TURF.
DEATH OF THE NEw-JERsEY RACING BILLS.
PROBABLE ABANDONMENT OF THE MONMOUTH,
LINDEN AND ELIZABETH MEETINGS
THIS YEAR-GUTTENBERG AND
CLIFTON TO BLAME.
tRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l

Trenton March 20-The bills intended tn pro-
tect the several horse-racing associations in the
State by egallzing bOokmakinG on the tracks
were smothercd by the House Committee on
Revision of Laws. The Legislature was in SYM
pathy with the Monmouth Park course. and cou!d
the bills have been made 10 apply to that we'll
regulated institution alone they would have been
passed. and in all probability approved by the
Governor. But to lcgalizc the dOlngs AT Grtten-
berg, Clifton and Gloucester was asking more oil
the Ncw-Jcrscy Legislature than il dared to grant.
The Legislature was not permcated with picty,
like the legendary old woman at the camp meet
ing, but il was extremely sensible Of its account
ability to the people and would not take the risk
of a storm of popular indignation that would
surely have been visited upon il had it thrown
its sanction about the management of the winter
racctracks For two years tho public has been
crying out against these tracks as gambling resorts
and infamous devices 10 corrupt hhe pubic
morals. and methods will yet he found. it is
firmly believed, to suppress them. When 1t was
rumored last fall that the racing associations
were going TO secure the passage Of b!ls which
would leave the courses free from police
interference the moral element Of the people
made preparations for war. Ihcy dcterhiheh
that no bills should pass 70 lcgalizc booKmaklnS,
and immense petitions were eOu up lHouSdil"o
upon thousands signed the petitions and they were
pr,scn ed to the Legislature. Each one of them
earnestly protested against the proposed legislation
Large delegations appeared before the COMMITTED
on Revision Of Laws, to which the bills were re-
fcrrcd, and men and women delivered addresses.
The racing people tried to get the Democrats to
adopt the bills rs caucus measures, but Governor
Albeit would not permit that course. The party,
Lc held, could not AFFORD to fly IN the face oi 50
many people of the State were opposed SO the
tracks Efforts to separate the interests 0f Mon
mouth Park Elizabeth and Linden, from those OF
Clifton. Guttcnbcrg and Gloucester failed. The
winter tracks are either managed or fost'red and
protected 10y Ncw-lcrscy politicians VINO have more
Influence at Trenton than the leading officials
would care TO admit, and they dictated thc steps
to be- taken. Winter racing, thcy vowed, should
be sanctioned by the law, and they would not
acrcc even to curtal the period during which 1t
should take place. The lcgltlmaI" racing aa'o-
ciotious were Ovcrrulcd 10y the projectors ana
managers of the winter tracks, ana couId @ct 10
propositlon before the Legislature for ialr ana
reasonable LEGISLATION.
The Committee on Revision Of Laws, in view
Of all the facts decided 10 chloroform The DIS
Tho administered a good dose to them, and thc5
are now sleeping IN" sleep that knows u" W'NiI'L'
When publi, sentiment is aroused - slch Pl''"
aciin.t the winter tracks that ticIr abolition n;N'
and will follow. LEGISLATION VIII b" granted lP
Nnnuouth Park authorities. Td pr'plpN, id'
I,liy,,cfh and Linden associations winch VIII ire
,Lc.,, IRON, tLc ounovanccs 30 which they are now
subject by petty prosecutions. Against me Npi- N
uouth course especially there i no popular lrei-
inr lis MANAGEMENT. on the other hand, has
won the admiration Of the people.