The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-08

track events after that date, which is
plenty late enough In the season Tor
sport of this character a. llnger. AFTER
than fair ana humane that the equine
should be given winters rest ana
freedom Irom the field OF competition.
draw their stock before winter sets In, but
there are those who require the strong hand
OF the law TO compel them 10 abstain from
sRGst sSIs' which, after the 'A0" h'' Is uH'sA'0A
The apology truly points ont that "of
course it is a little too early at the p res
ent time TO prophesy as to the probable
success of the enterprise" but informs
us that concerning the attendance dur
ing the past five days, the management
has expressed satisfaction, after taking
into consideration one or two hind
RANGES which have lserved to keep
folks away" The Journal does not,
however, explain that the chief 'hind-
RANGES" are small attractions on the oval
and big attractions in the betting de-
partment. These are the "hindrances."
And judging by the course of events
the management proposes to let the
races become of less and less attractive =
ness, reducing the distances run, and
with only poor show of securi ng
the presence of famous horses or first
class jockeys, which, as pointed out in a
New York sporting newspaper, the man.
agement has signally failed to obtain.
Now that the public understands
the character of the enterprise being
run at Narragansett Park, the
Gambling Association has had little en-
couragement to exert itself for attrac-
tions. The Country Clubs races last
June were accorded double the attend
ance Of the "fall meeting" now going
on, simply because they gave better
show.
1t is pointed out in one Of the many
communications which THE News has
received on this subject that the Nara
gansett Gambling Association could
do q successful business even If
their races didn't draw visitor to Mar
ragansett Park, because the Association.
which is understood to be principally
gambler JAMES NJ. CROSBY of Boston, is
interested in the pool rooms whi ch do
business in the larger cities all over the
country, and accordingly shares in the
gambling transactions made on the run
ming OF the horses at Narragansett Park.
THE News knows nothing about this.
IL the horses were run at Narragansett
Park while the betting on them was
done outside the State in New York or
Boston, that would be a situation which
it might be difficult for Rhode Island to
tackle, though it would still not be a
pleasant situation for Rhode Islanders
to contemplate--to have this State made
q gaming table In the interest of
gamblers anywhere within or without
the State.
But the present problem is simple
enough. The least important feature,
the racing, is apparently being done in
defiance of State law. The more i'm
portant feature, the gambling, is being
done certainly in defiance of public
sentiment and, as pointed out by cor
respondent of the NEWS, on Saturday,
is also perhaps in defiance of the
law. AS a result OF this
now publicly known situation the
race meet has not been successful in
point of attendance, despite The
Journals oddly interested statements.
IL the race meet can succeed without
attendance that is something that pub
lie sentiment cannot control unless it is
learned whether the law cannot, despite
its ambiguity, be invoked to drive The
gamblers out, as other States have al
ready driven them out.
Rhode Island should be no place of
refuge for ostracised institutions like the
Narragansett Gambling Association.