New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-10
State appropriation or the per cent to De as
sessed upon the bordering lands
RACING AND BETTING.

sessed upon the bordering lands
RACING AND BETTING.
I recommend the absolute repeal OF Chapters TO-
II and is Of the Laws of 1893. known as inc
"Racetrack laws" This should be done. not oi'
upon moral grounds but in obedience to the popular
will emphatically expressed.
II It be the legislative desire to apply radical
treatment to the subject matter of horseracing anu
betting thereon the proviso contained in Section
s. of the Crimes act (Revision ESD should oe re,
pealed. and Chapter l47 of the Laws of 1889 shouu
The provso in Section IS permits horse-racing at
fairs and exhibitions of any agrcultura. or 0'D All
most other tracks, are owned by some incorpoia'eu
society or body for the purpose OF bringing e sne
of the legislation Of last winter will not prevent
horse.raeing 1t will remain lawful under the pro-
Prior to the passage Of Chapter 1i7 OF the Laws
of 1880 betting on any horse race. or being stake
being rider or driver thereat or contributing TO or
procuring to be made up any purse to be bel Gaf fe
racing purposes. was unlawful and punishable by
fine and imprisonment under Sections IS, IS and
Chapter Ia Of the Laws Of 1880, by amendments
to the four sections last mentioned purporis to
those sections. when the same are done on the
grounds under the auspices OF the fair or any
It viii thus be seen that although the legislation
Of last winter be repealed. horse-raeing will sim
and the offering Of prizes or purses to be raced
for will be legal under the legislation of $780, II
Called the Opportunity for betting thereon will
remain; and experience teaches that where oppor
tuniy Is afforded to indulge any forbidden prac-
tice, 1t will be INDUCED to greater or less degree
and more or less openly. as 1t may be regarded
There is no doubt that it was the concealed pur-
pose Of the promoters Of the legislation Of 1850 to
rors and Appeals, Of the case Of Mclean Us. The
virtue of that legislation. The acts Of last winter
WERE apprehend. really intended to effectuate the
had been in a measure defeated by the decision OF
the Court Of Errors and Appeals before mentioned.
that of last winter would have been useless to its
piled in this case be heroic That you pass each Of
the repeating acts recommended. and also re-enac,
the Crimes act. By so doing, and graduating the
cause, you will prevent all pernicous effects.
REFORM IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
The necessity Of reform in the methods Of con-
Quoting primary elections Is conceded. How that
reform shall be effected Is engaging the attention
of many writer's and thinkers political prob
lens.
In my inaugural address I made allusion to the
subject follows: Ballot reform has in recent
years, accomplished much in the direction of hon.
est elections. 1t would seem that the enactment
of law applying the same principles and methods
to to. the caucus or primary would prove equally
b EuT p his produced eOnveeR
remedy In explanation and illustration of the
scheme proposed have without any intention Of
pended hereto the draft Of Legislative act, drawn
upon the lines Of our Ballot Reform law. and In
Court that Assembymen be elected upon general
Under the system embodied In the proposed law,
nominating elections for the nomination Of candi-
paties for the election of municipal officers, where
the nominating elections would precede the regular
To the possible objection that the plan involves
mulated that will not be attended with some out
lay The plan proposed Is really not more expe en-
matter of necessary expense is to be an insuperabe
bar. all idea Of reformatory Hesitation in the d.
The. nominating elections are fixed for the day
on which the Boards of Registry now begin the
hold the nominating elections, a change is thus
dae Of the CANVASS Th
could be made to begin one week earlier and the
Of q the and the fas
ton OF voters could then be fixed for four weeks
OF eeetions ad
day for personal registration would thus fall to-
expense already existing. In practice. such an ar
sd %ou nl Po66y Se 9
personal registration only and thus enable the large
| decreased and ultimately dispensed with altogether
The booths and other fixtures required for the nom
for use so that the greatest extra expense attend
| ing such elections would be the cost of the of
| fetal ballots to be used thereat and that charge
| could be largely. and perhaps entirely offset by
| savings effected in other directions.
Should ii be urged that the proposed law pro
| vdes for too frequent elections such objection
| should have little weight because the nominating
elections but substitutes for the already es
| tablshed system of election nomination by eau
| Gus primary. 1t Is OF consequence whether
| the mode Of nominating candidates be called 9
caucus, primary, or nominating election. but &
| Is Of great Importance that the mode adopted i'm
voters will That result seems impossible under
public expense above alluded to- there can be M
| objection made to nominating election held fou
weeks preceding a regular election that does no
apply In much greater degree TO a primary or eau
| Gus election held on the same date.