New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-19
FROM THE MAIL

THE GRAY RACING BILL AGAIN
4 SECOND LETTER FROM THE PASTOR OF THE
BROADWAY TABERNACLE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: | thank you for your response to my IN
quiry In regard to the racing bill which mas oee'i
before the Legislature for about month "it''o"'
attracting as yet any public attention. and De-
lieve without having been printed IN the news
napers You will pardon me II express my us
trust of the careful examination made III the Oh
flee of The Tribune" which leads you 10 say ''at
the bill if enacted, will not make any lott" Vi
gambling legal.
Tbo bin closes with an addition to the Penal Code
of th, State enumeratng = series OF Gamphhs pro-
cedures of various kinds. all of when are pro-
bibited under a penalty of Imprisonment OF not
exceeding five years and a fine of S2cpo ana Apply
ing to any person in any place, "exceptlne as heie
IN otherwise. provided" Hidden away In the pouy
of the hill is Section H. in which it is provided that
any person who makes and records any pel Vi
wager upor any racccou'so authorized by or en-
,i.lod IN tho benefits Of this act shall be punlshci
bv forfiting the value OF the bet; to be recovered
by civil action at the instance OF the person WI"
whom the bet is made and renders thiS PUNISH
ment exclusive. ana In place OF All penait'c' VI
nunIshments contemplated or prescribed by any
other provsion of this act, or by any other act
T., v,ould seom then that according TO TINS pro-
nosed law gambling which IL prohibited and pun
ishod with heavy penalties everywhere else III 'he
State Is punishable. when petfnitted OH d '"O
course only in so trivial and unusual way az
practically to constitute no punishment at an
Allow me 20 ask YOU II this does not practcahy
authorize gambling racccourses and' III ldc'' Sc
cur. 70 them the same monopoly OF unpunisnaoie
gambling which they have hitherto en)oyed'
Furthermore aside from this section. under
which "A bet Is punishable only when coupien VIII"
a record | do not find in the bill anything that pro-
bibts betting either on the racecourse, or any
gihi V.
who run horses for a bet and even this exception
may lose its significance as applied to racecourses,
bv Section 3 which provides that "a race c!hda9 ei
- nrovidei in this bill shall not BE- construed az
being an event or contingency dependent upon any
of the provisions OF the Penal CODE OF the otate VI
New York 1t aims to prohibit INJURY r as 10
Is gambling or not It Is cerraih,y h sor II ~
enacted After It becomes law inquiry or dscus,
son the nature OF its provisions WI MI 40 mrnf NJ
good Again "S" una HfE%RY a. STiMs0%
Broadway Tabernacle. New-York. March IS iss''
tDr Simson is mistaken IN thinking that the
Racing bill which has been before the Legislature
for about a month has not attracted as yet any
public attention. An immense NUMBER on aFucics
has been published about this bill In many news
papers and it has been discussed at great iens'h
4. tho nrcse and elsewhere It Is certain that the
Gray bill does not secure 10 racecourses 'He
same MONOPOLY Of urpunishable gambling which
;hcv have heretofore enjoyed. as Or. Stimsoh
nuts IT, That l. as certain anything can b" on
earth Since the Ives Pool blll became a law the
ro,,.rocks have been allowed II carry on book
making and the selling Of French pool lckets on
, tremendous scale without interference from the
law and without punishment. Gambling In huge
botting-rincs on tn fdcocourses has oeeh prdv
tlsei To- an enormous extent under the Ives Pool
act The Gray bill prohibits every conceivable
form ~ pool-scng and bookmaking. 1t sweeps
away al machinery. paraphernalia records ana
registers Il betting ~ any sort or nature wnai-
ever surely then the Gray bill does no; prac-
tically authorize gambling on racecours's, ana
surely il does not in fact secure to them the
same monopoly II unpunishabe gambling winch
tney have heretofore enjoyed" Many amend
ments however. have been offered to TINS Gray
bill The Tribune will endeavor To print the Dill
in full after these amendments have been incor- |
p1rated in the report OF the committee which now
has the bill before 1t. when 1t can find space -
DO so.-EiD