The morning times., 1895-12-05
D|SGRICE TO VIRGINIA
0'FeraIPs Message Scores the
Alexandra County Evil.
MINCED NOT HIS WORDS
Long and Able Statement of the Law.
lessness Which Disgraces the
Trans-POtomac County-Far-React-
ing and Immediate Reforms Suy-
gested.

| Gov. Charles 7. O'Ferrall, in his annual
| message TO the legislature Of Virginia,
| "hic.i was read yesterday AT Ric4..Uuu.
takes up The Alexandra county question
| anu handles 1t Without giOyes-
He recommends, aiming other things,
| that the orange camp euarter be revoked;
| thal pool selling be absolutely prohibited.
| anu tnit the executive be gwen tie tenn
| pOrary right to reiiinve any law officer
| IN Alexandria County, frum tue sheriff
| down.
| The section of Goy .o'Ferralrs mes
| sage referring to Alexandria C,,uuty La W
| leSSneSs is as follows:
Gambling Oh h"ise races has become a
| Shine ana uIsAf.iCe 10 Virginia. IL has
! bscd Carried On Tue year ru-Id, and has
| attracted the gambling IraternIty, InCl.u-
| ing the worst eieinent uf IL. IRON every SEE
| IiUd uI tne cOaItry, anu invited the youths
| OF lne state Ia Inr tracks 10 be currup
| - 1He srheraI asscInDiy, at It's iast seseiou,
| UnuinS mat tncre was no statute pfuLiDIJ-
| ing look making, pool-selliDs, etc, and
| ihat tiis species va g,inDiing Was being con
| stautlyat tJdcksontuy. III a ie.xandria county,
| passed. du act MA gag IL unId wfui Ior any
| Persons or aSsUcIdtIUn or PERSONS, cor
| poration or corporations to sell
or make books, pools or Luutuais upon the
/ result or any triai OF speed or power OF Ell
| durance OF animals or bra SITS, etc, anywhere
| within the State, except upon the grounds
owned aud cUItrUIIeu by agricultural as
sOciatIons, cOn.Iy or city lars, driving
parks or driving clubs heretofore cnar-
tered. The SPECIAL oDJect OF lnis act was
| to break up the gambling dens where pool
| Selling, etc. was done, at jackson City,
anu wnich mad made that locality veri-
table pest spot for years.
IL Was REPRESENTED ana believed by the
general assembly tuat Jbe privilege OF pool
| selling ur ma king books. etc, on the grounds
| OF agricultural associations or fairs and
driving clubs or parks then in existence
would not De useu 10 encourage gambling
and create gambling places. The bill was
presented To me on .he Sd day of March.
1894 five days before the session of The
general assembly expired By Limitation.
objected 10 ure exceptIou in favor oi agrl-
cultural associations or fairs and driving
clubs or parks. but being assured that
the passage OF no other bill on The
subject cUaid be secured on account of the
la,eneSS oil the s,ssion, and believing that
il would elise the deDs at jackson City,
and that the managers OF the agricultural
iairs and driving parks in the State would
best to approve the bill and at least reduce
the evil TO minimum, and, accordingly,
on the Sd day "i March; 1894. appended
But, while the act had the effect of
closing the pslol shops, etc, at Jackson
CITY, they were simply transferred TO two
other places, short distances therefrUm.
LAW OFFICERS POwERLESS.
BY virtue OF charter granted by the
general assembly, at the session OF 1SS5-'6,
to the Grange Camp Association of North
ern lkiuIa, wIose IranCilises were ST.
cured by persons who are said TO reside
III nasiIDkion city, urIying park was
established a few hundred yards from
JaChson City and the long bridge SPAN
and there daily during the fan OF 1894
and the winter OF ls94-'o, and, with
slight intermIssIoDs, TO the present time,
In all srasOns and weather, racing, pool
selling. and book-making, etc. have been
carried on in bold defiance OF the spirit
and intention or the general assembly and !
the act of March 3, 1894.
To these grounds the gamblers from !
every direction have repaired. and. on ac- |
Count OF tnrir proximity TO the City OF |
Washington. they have attracted the worst I!
element as wei rs tne youths OF that CITY, |
So COrruptlng. defnoralizinS and shameful /
have tue bracJIces become that have been !
appealed To in the most earnest terms by \
tine respectable citizens and board OF trade I
OF the National Capital for relief. But as
these outrageous actS lave been committed /
under cover. but IN abuse of the act OF |
March 3. 1914. Lave found that both my
self aud tue honorable judge OF The county
court OF Alexandria County have been ut
terry poweriess 10 Interfere.
The other place TO when have referred
is nearer the c:ty OF Alexandria, on the line
of the Southern Railway, but almost as |
accessible to Washington as the A lexander /
/ lsiaGd PARK. II is known as st. Asapli, and !
has differed in no material particular, so far
as | am informed, from Alexander Island
park, except that there has been no winter
racing on ITS track. In great measure the
same eleinent frequents 1t; and pool-selling.
on ITS grounds.
SHOULD PROHIBIT GAMBLING ALTO
GETHER.
1 earnestly recommend that the act OF
March 3, 1894. be amended by striking out
the exception in favor OF agricultural as
sociations or fairs. and driving clubs or
parks
Let the selling OF books. or making OF
pools or mutuals. be absolutely prohibited
In the Stale of Virginia. Other States have
driven horsr-race gambling from their bor-
ders; enlightened public sentiment IS
against il; public morals condemn it, VIII
,ilis Stale continue To make her borders
The rendezvous and refuge of the gamblers
driven away from Jersey City and Gutien-
burg: Betting ut faro, wheel-of-fortunc, |
,r keno table is prohibited ond u, ri>,.,u. |
Why permit il on Il horse race? Upon what
ca n one be prohibited aud the other |
licensed? is it immoral and degrading to
,amhe with cards. but moral and elevat- |
ng to gamble on horse racing? / am sure |
yuu will answer these questions as the moral
Recurring To the sub eCt 1ust Priesthood, |
desire 10 refer to the gross perversiou of
he charter OF the Grange Camp Associa-
ion OF Northern Virginia, granted by the
Special attention is called to the purposes !
If the charter, set forth in the preamble:
The fostering and development of agri-
ulture aud its interests, as well as the Inu- |
ual care, aid nd protection of its members
II times OF sickness or distress, and The
are OF The widow and orphan, and other |
benevolent purposes; for the purpose of |
folding fairs in the interest of agriculture !
md or securing the ADVANTAGES of q, -on-