New-York tribune., 1894-10-29
THE CURSE OF TURF-GAMBLING.
DR. BITING IMPRESSEs UrON VOTERS THE DUTY
OF SUPPORTING THE CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENT.
The Rev. Or. W. G. Biting. pastor OF Mount
Morris Baptist Church. chose the subject OF his
Sunday evening sermon. Article !. Section =. OF the
Constitutional Amendments relating To gambling.
making special reference to racing The speaker
said that OF these thirty-three amendments there
were four that he would like TO take time To dis
one is relative 10 the changing Of the time
OF the meeting Of the Assembly so a. not 10
cause them to have need 10 consider or 10 confer
Sunday. Another one IS the change OF tim" OF
the naturalization from ten days before election
TO at least ninety days before they could vote.
That was his belief. and he thought that every
intelligent American should think likewise. lie
then passed to Article |. Section .. conhninS
himself in the main to the subject OF gambling on
horses Gambling. he said. was a violation OF 'he
Eighth Commandment and quoted Kingsley. who
wrote that Gambling was means OF taking
money out OF n neishbor's pocket without giving
him a equivalent in return" This was shame
ful state into which man had fallen and It was
hard and everything connected with MIN.
as well on mis- character as his reputation. But
he did noi wish to dwell upon IT in this Hight.
Ru. when that gambling came into the state and
proposed to tax and all and to bring ruin upon
the city then he had something to say about II.
There was a law against gambling until 1871. but
al that time certain number Of men went ana de-
cared that IT Was an impossibility TO run race
track anywhere In this world without having pool
selling ana gambling Tn" result was thht TO TN"
disgrace OF the Legislature the Ives Pool bill was
passed. and gambling Vas l"thH%rH IN one "' ~
posltion Of religious bodies ana others. Sow.
what was the result The next day the brooklyn
race-track opened ani sixty bookmakers started.
and gullcI tho public out of S""."n Thcy E"nt
Mr. Ives 10 forward that bill. He was rlai" Sen
ator together with Mr. Foley. u Saratoga. ana
both wcr, placed on the Judiciary committee. 40
that unihin. would happen to- fhe lIll 10 hinder II
iron, passing Money Ma spent most freely. In
the state of NcW.J"rsoy -" know what happened
single conpaigr t'tcs' TO on" - tn" political
parties IN Ncw-Jcrscy IN order that they
should legallzn samhln ns IN al ~ forms
They succccdri. ani th" sam" man that
supported this bill aft"rward made
Speaker of the Lower House - Ncw Jersey
The speaker then gave a LIST ~ tn. earnings oi
he was clearly within the truth when he said that
the worst classes of people w"r" found at IN"
racetracks The a'crag" 'ti"nihn." "l doom
makers at the tracks ls about eighty ana eh'h
one paws 800 day f"r his sphc" oi q f"w SGIar"
feet Yet 20 numerous ar" IN" fools and So anN-
ious are they - spend their money that they 60
on 10 Long Island 10 witness races hy electric
light The total ATTENDANCE" 5000 people
last year They paid nfty cents FOR the railroad
a card. that each person spent F-'' h"'or" he
placed one cent race tn" admission and card
money IS supposed - - ,,or PRE- none. m2nsy. The ne
Bon incidcntals 500" eighty bookmakcrs - 500 a
day making for the season of i32 days totS.s"
He stated that the shar" that would 10 20 tho
n million dollars IN" Louisiana Lottery did not
10 az much harm a. the racetrarks ~ New-York
JIe stated that m" l"ialcaiions 80 twelve months
~ this CITY, attributed solely To the Influence" -!
the racetracks. amounted 70 s. ''NtAr and scored
the public for employing men who frcqu"nicI IA"
races and the poolrooils He quoted from The
attributed their downfall 10 the influence of the
racetrack. and referred to Superintendent Byrnes
coincdins with this view. He eNhorted the
congregation TO vote the side Of Justice. right
tOusness and purity