The morning times., 1896-01-13
'FERRiIL IS INcENSED
Denies That He Has Been In
fIusnCed by Belmont.
EXTRA SESSION PROBABLE
If the Ruce Track Lobby Succeeds
{ In Working Its Scheme, He May
Call the Legislature Again-Rfng
Is Trying to PMcate Maupin and
Push u Compromise Measure.
ispecial to The Times.l

Richmond, va, jan. iS--uoN. " OTeA
rall is much incensed at the reports pub
lished in Alexandria and Richmond, IN
umating that he was Influenced In IaVor
Of one of The tracks in Alexandria county
as against the other, aud also that the
alleged scheme of Perry Belmont in con-
neciion with the purchase OF Benning's'
actuated him in the matter. and that he
had been approached aud Influenced In
regard To the Belmont scheme.
All of these reports he has traced to
sources connected with the lobby or those
directly connected with ST. Asaph's track,
and when interviewed on the subject this
evening by The Times correspondent spoke
vigorously and Indignantly against the
e;hods being adopted by the ST. Asaph
people.
He again pointed to his message as
refutation of the charges of any condoning
of the practic OF gambling at either track.
He has since discovered that some of those
who inddced him at the last session to
accept a compromise measure and were
the most earnest and eloquent advocates
of the passage of the Mushbach bill are
connected with the st. Asaph track
IN The SAME CAIEdOh1.
The only distinction that he admits
can be made between the two tracks is
that one is perverting an agricultural
charter to wrong purposes, while the
other is doing the same wrong under a
regular charter. He says that the fact
is that during all last year he had the
matter constantly in mind, and with the
aid of the attorney general continued to
look for some power conferred on him by
The law by which he could break up both
tracks, and that he would have done so,
even to sending The military there, If he
had had the power TO do so.
He did not see the paid article published
in a morning paper here until the night OF
the day of its publication, aud if he had
seen it the morning of publication 1t is
probable that the facts that he has since
learned would have been used in the debate
in the House by the supporters of the Maupin
bill, which is the measure the Governor in
dorsed.y The article In question was the
one which went at length into the alleged
Belmont scheme. The Governor has learned
that the article was handed in to the paper
and paid for by Mr.. Brent of Alexandria,
the attorney for j. NJ. Hill, the principal
owner Of st. Asaph track. Mr.. Brent the
next day emphatically denied that he was
here in connection with Mr.. Hill or in con-
Dectiou with the st. Asaph track.
WILL FIGHT THE LOBBY.
The fight is on in earnest and the Gov
ernor recognizes that he has an influential
lobby, backed by any amount of means To
contend with, and that they will not give
up the source of their il-gotteD gains with
out bringing every influence TO bear.
Mr.. Maupin is working night and day In
favor of his bill and 1t will in ali pruba-
bi!ity pass the House, but its fate may be
very uncertain in the Senate, where st.
Asaph has its strongest friends.
Mr.. Maupin has been requested to grant
j conference with the race-track people, bat
refused and will listen TO no compromise.
He and his Supporters take the ground that
pool selling is wrong and can be defended
on no grounds whatsoever. II is reported
here that there is now deal between the
two tracks in Alexandria county and that
the method OF procedure will be to so in
fluence legislation as to tange the bills and
delay action in order to force compromise
relying on Gov. OFerrall's expressed in
tention of vetoing any bill less effective
than the Maupin BILL and thus nullify such
compromise and then leave them with an
adjourned legislature and the same privi
leges they have heretofore enjoyed of pool
selling. bookrnazing. winter racing. and all
its attendant evils for two years more.
The Maupin bill is, however, being so
vigorously pushed that it win be brought to
a vote and the belief is that when an aye
& laJ fpr ha
sentatives have to appear in cold type on
the question of gambling or no gambling
that all the speciols arguments of the horse
men will be set aside and the bill go throu gh.
ONE TRUMP CARD.
In the plan referred to the Governor has
strong card to play which the race
track men. perhaps, have not taken into
their calculations. He can reconvene the
legislature at will. 1t remains to be seen
whether he would use it If legislation
was so engineered to leave that body ad-
journed with a veto bill.
But he is a very determined man. and
says: 81 am determined to put down race
track gambling in Virginia.
The compromise bill. which las W. F
Reddy, a young Richmond representative
for its patron, provides, as before stated in
these dispatches, for pool selling for
fifteen ays in the spring. and fifteen days
in the fall at agricultural fair ground tracks.
The Governor regards this as worse than
the present bill, as there are eight or ten
tracks extending from the valley to the
Eastern Shore, and THAT the poison would
be spread all over the State and the racing
be continuous from April to November"
He holds that pool selling is not essential
to successful racing from either sporting
or breeder standpoint and cites the evidence
of prominent breeders to show that on the
other hand it has done more than any other
thing to injure the business of breeding
horses.