The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-10-12
ELkTON OBEGLOUCESTERIzED

to Philadelphia syndicate of horsemen
for twcnty-six days at a rental of one
hundred dollars for each day, with the full
license for all gambling, book-making and
pool selling privileges.
Twenty-six hundred dollars, it seems, is
the price at which five gentlemen-not one
of whom is a resident of Elkton-are will
ing that the county seat OF Cecil shall be
made the dumping ground of a public
gambling fraternity, that popular sentiment
no longer tolerates in and has driven out
of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and Delaware.
The WING seriously questions the legal
right of the managers to execute such a
lease, and does not believe that one lawyer
can be found at Eliton who will decide
that they possess that authority.
In the WIGG's opinion, that right if it
exists at all, bclon4se: clusively to the stock
holders of the Society, general meeting
of whom should have been called, and by
whom the question Of executing the pro
posed lease should have been fully dis
cussed, and clear majority of whom could
alone legally authorize its execution.
The managers Of the Society, chose
annually a. the agcnts Of thu Stockholders,
are tacitly authorized ouly to do such acts
as are ordinarily necessary for the proper
conduct of the business affairs OF the
Society, including an annual exhibition at
Elkton, popularity known as the Elkton
Fair.
But this lease of the gaming franchise.
specially conferred bv an act of the Leg =
laturr, and the sale of which to II forei-n
syndicate or corporation, to he used an"
cnjnyc! apart from any exhibition of tine
Society and therefor" violat;ve of the
good faith in which the LEGISLATURE con-
ferrr,l the franchise. is altogether an extra
official and extraordinary procedure not
contemplated either in the Act of the Leg
islaturr. or vested in the managers Ivy any
act OF the stockholders Of the Society
Besides. it IS no less bad business step.
! SlDtt II lllllSl TAU w a lClitHl va wv ~
islative Appropriation Act upon which
the life Of the Society mainly dep nds, in
this as in other counties of the State.
The Ce, il Agricultural Society originally
needed no Legislative aid. Its annual cN-
hibitions received generous public support.
Favored with exceptional advantages "i
location, it soon assumed the proportions Of
State Fair During these prcsprron,
years, its main support was drawn from
our farmers and local agricultural classes,
and its annual exhibitions were kept clean
of gambling devices, and its primary fea-
ture as an agricultural show were strictly
maintained.
Popular local interest however, in the
Society's annual exhibitions began to wane,
to maintain which, premium lists out
OF all proportion to the annual reve-
nues of the Society were resorted to,
and finally in Il measure losing sight of
the original purposes of the Society S
organization, its racing and gaming fea-
lures vredoninatcd, and what at first was
omy "a incident to the Fair became its
chief attraction.
In the meantime, the legislature passed
an act (1S92) authorizing the sum OF
$5O00.00 to be annually divided among
the county agricultural societies OF the
State, limiting the donation to such soci-
cites as had paid-up capital of ten thou
sand dollars Or owned property to that
amount, and which had not declared a
dividend in the year, or hadn't $500 sur
plus in their treasures.
Under this law, the Cecil Society has
received from the State as much as $3.50
per year for two successive years, and as
much as $1,000 per annum in an aggregate
of three years, which, with the sums re-
ceived from the annual sale of pool and
other privileges, has been increased each
year to about $1,000 clear revenue outside
Of gate receipts.
From this it wilt be seen, that the five
managers, voting to execute the lease to the
Philadelphia syndicate, will practically
destroy the Cecil Society for $4,000, while
they were annually receiving about $500
certainly, and had prospect of contin-
uing its annual exhibitions.
This statement, OF course, is predicated
upon the belief, that if n gambling syndi-
cate captures the Society's grounds this
year for the sole and only purpose of tax
ing advantage of the existing feature OF the
present law of the State allowing gambling
pools at agricultural fairs, but prohibiting
their sale everywhere else within the limits
of the State, that not only will the people
OF the county refuse hereafter to support
the Elkton Fair at all, but what is quite as
bad for the Society's life, the next Legis-
lature will inevitably repeal the appropri-
alton law to agricultural societies, which
it certainly should, and this revenue will
be absolutely lost to the Cecil Society.
Viewed then purely in business light,
the managers have done bad thing, in
executing this lease, and that without
considering at all the moral effect upon
J this community and other communities of