New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-24
THE BETTING RINGS MUSTG O
PUBLIC SENTIMENT AROUSED AGAINST
RACETRACK GAMBLING.
THE TENDENCY IS MARKED IN ALL PARTS OF
THE COMMISSIONS REASONS WHY THE
ANTI-GAMBIING AMENDMENT SHOULD


THE cot.NTRY-sTRONG REASONS WHY THE
ANTLGAMBLING AMENDMENT SHOULD
BE ADOPTED.
Some deluded friends OF the betting rings on race
tracks say that the anti-gambling amendment VIII
be defeated at the polls next month IL l. now easy
to see on what they base this opinion The growth
OF sentiment hostile TO gambling OF all forms mas
been extremely rapid. and this sentiment mas p'
come intense In all parts OF the Inited STATES
All over the country the tendency OF leglsato" -
TO suppress all forms Of gambling with extreme
severity This is In the laws of almost every
State in the Union: the South as well as IN the
North: in the West well as in the East Inc
retirement OF the great Washington farh iNao'H
Association in Chicago from all forms OF racing u
a significant sign The evidence on every hahd Is
overwhelming that the majority Of the voters IN
every important state In the Union Is stormy OPP
posed TO lcgalizIng any kind OF gambling. The de-
Vehement and Increase OF the ennity TO gainpiihs
on racetracks is similar 10 the development anu III
crease OF the enmity to lotteries. Almost every
State In the Union nov has forclDie ana Hbo'o"'
legislation against lotteries, and Congress mas
adopted laws Of marked severity Hl'c"''' w ''f
press lotteries altogether
II lotteries are to be suppressed. why shouIu Inv
betting-rings the raceracks be allowed 10 eNS'
one form Of gambling Is Just AZ objectionable as 'he
other and causes just as m ny abuses anu 'N'S'
Moreover. a well-conducted lottery. which reserves
only a moderate percentage to the proprietors OF
,ho lottery and divides al, the rest OF the money
received fairly and honestly among the buyers OF
tickets is much more fair and equitable 70 the
BUYERS OF lottery tickets than the oetuhe-rlhsS q"
our racctracks &c the people VINO bet on '''e
horses The turf Is by means free from trickery'
suh,erfuee devious devices crookedness ana as
borestv Nobody but simple-minded people can SIT
cerely assert that the turf Is free from these oo'S
Every one who has made careiul study "i '"''"H
as II Is conducted in this country knows mat II y
tainted by evils and abuses. ana that many "'N
honest bookmafers. owners, trainers and jockeys
arc narnittcd to practise all sorts OF trckrry on W
raca,racka I, is true thai there are many honest
owners OF racehorses in America. But a large MA
jority even Of the honest owners "i rd''"'' 80
&c made M 81 men who are easily dupei. delud"i
and fooled by trainers and jockeys. VINO -" o".
these owners to the betting rings. Every ''r'iu'
observer of racing as il Is carried on upon inc race
.r,.i,s ", New-York State knows that horses are
,.., carried when they wholly unht 70 rt'''
and when the trainers AMI Jockeys VINO haf''e
them have no intention " winning races WIZ" ''''
In this way owners are often chei'''' "'' '''
o,,a who 20 10 the races and be- on the races
are cheated The turf is spotted win 'h'"''"F W
ono Kind ard another. and nobody with any com
,,,n-sense can possibly doubt or deny TINS
I, might be- possible purify the turf y mon We're
mn, in control o. every race meeting VINO were "''
| ourhlv familiar with the performance Oh "'' wv
| h-ss yho we're IN deadly earnest. who w"r" men
] 90 he highest
determination. bent on the i"'a! snppr'7S''" vi
ov.rv form Of trickery and fraud. but sHrh men are
! no, Oh, in control u race meeting
| OTHER SPORTS NEED 50 PROTECTED GAM
BLING.
| U.bv shoul gambling hc permitted on the tHr'
| any more than on baseball grounds fasr'Ail CON
| tests football contests and other forms ~ nh''"
hcalfhrrl enjoyable sport 10 not need any p''''''"
! uniting attachment The betting rings are not
..ltf4 "a
| -.,.d or without them u Is true that ~" 20
CONT OF he hockey clubs VIII De cut down h'tF"'
II the betting rings ARE abolished '"' t",'"t "a"
reduced greatly m value without seriously I"P'''""
the true interests u IN" turf "A racing i7 col"
| s,,c,eI now n this country. II is not chirhy an
agency FOR the Improvement 81 the breed ~ h"fS'S
! hu, # l. chiefly an agency for the promotion "
| gambling l. Is not for o." public Interest 10 pei
NIT betting rigs On raceracks in order ihAt 'he
racing associations shall pay pr"Ilg."n' "'''''"''
an their stocks II Is Mt In Tho public Interest th''
| ,,. batting rings should Doe permitted IN order 70
enrich tho hookmakcrs c.a.s ~ professional gam
! blers IN fact. gambling on rac'ira'ks is III" ''
m schef and evil. 81 damag" ana injury ana SERVES
no good AMI useful purpose whatever IN any way.
| II is 4 prstlicnce and nui-anc" ana ought - ""
wiu-l out altogether Betting rings do not impT''"
| The brecl Of horses. and racing can %" carried on
without betting rings. even II the dviien1s ~ the
! turf associations reduced IMMENSELY hih even
| dishonest
| cys are preycn.cl from amnssing dishonest gains
! 4 nromlncnt owner 81 racchorses said recently
that not more than in twenty ~ the pcopl" VINO
| ~ 20 the make "A practice y betting on IN"
| horses. This grot"sque.y ridiculous state
| rncnt without the slightest Foundations Any on"
who studies the races and goes frequently knows
that nineteen twcntic,hs OF the men, women and
children who visit the racctracks make a constant
practice u betting on the races. That IS the an
solutr truth 10 matter what an Interested owner Of
racehorses may say.
BETTING RINGS ATTRACT VILE PEOPLE TO
THE TRACKS.
The betting rings OF racctracks attract the worst
| elements OF the community; and our racetracks
are infested with the most degraded people mat
can be gathered from our great cities. Betting rings
prolific OF dishonesty Of all Sorts of ecu-
latons. embezziements, defalcatons. robbrries and
swindllng.
II all the Jockey clubs really in earnest In a
desire to promote public interests and to improve
the breed Of horses. they would suppress the bet
ting rings themselves. They would put men In con
troll who smart enough and energetic enough
10 put a stop to all frauds. They wOuI give races
which would be- OF the right sort really to improve
the breed OF horses. Instead Of offering lot OF
miserable little scurres and scrambles OF hve fur-
longs and six furIongs. all the racing organiza
tons Of the country have been dong III recent
years, they would give races at a distance OF a
mile. and 4 mile and "A half and two miles. The
contemplate little scurries and scrambcs OF i've
and six furlongs do not improve the breed 81 race
horses In fact they deprecate. weaken and lower
the grade OF the breed Of horses and are intended
simply and solely for the promotion OF gambling.
STRONG APPEAL TO THE CLERGY.
The appeal given herewith 10 the cergymen o
this state has been issued by Dr. Charles II. Park
| hurst cx-Judge Noah Davis. Josiah strong, Spen
Ger Trask. the Rev. Drs. James NJ. King. Rober
5. Macarthur and Theodore l.. Cuyer, and by "a
ward Lautorbach. John NJ. Cornell and others. Il
should be- remembered at all times that the Re
publcan party in Ncw-York city is thoroughly com
mltted to the support Of the Anti-Gambng amend
ment Of the Constitution This amendment wa
adopted by the Constitutional Convention by "A vot