Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-01-20
THE RACE TRACK DEBATE

report t1s SIZE iz13:aotE
THE RACE TRACK DEBATE.
Asz,4ted il the GAZETTE OF Tia: dzts
tae Nsuoio anti RAE track bill, ~hica
esas up IL the House o: Delegates or
SATURDAY. together win NJ. R=diys
oil, Which p@rG,iss polishing fcE
thirty dayzin each year. vers seat back
. lae committee OF counties, c;.ies aEG
towns :o- further consideration.
Tee srs. bill reached or the calendar
ID seeord reading waS House OIL Ns-
50 10 prevent gambling sid selling O.
.aEing bgoEs. pools 0. mu;usls F7ishia
he Common wealth OF EiEgil!s.
VI. Pitcher addressed tle Eous& II
he following manner s-Oa 5=h4I: o.
gentlemen Il thiz safe .eprese1.ilc
FIVE ailliocz OF dollars OF taxable prop
cry, IdesiGe 10 cal tha attention OF tte
House 20 ths act tast tze lai=ers Of
stock and lne representatives o. IA. Is
zoc:a,iouS desire 10 IL heard, ard. IL
no iac:ioGS spirit or 10 defeat any meas
ure. I move 20 recommit the Dill, and
do 50 because I feel confident that tbs
members do 10. thoroughly understand
ire measure. There i business aud
iranciz! question 10 il, OF which /
think taey have uot TscEived ell tie IL
formation, while an free ID admit .hat
OF the moral question they have re-
ceived 81 information, and possibly
more"
Mr. Maupin sid tie present law a.
lowed b5ok-usking sud pool-sell;ng OF
race tracks, and the question 10 &c coz
sidered ess moral ore. He felt coz
WINGED that al tie members OF the
House had already made up taeiE minds
now 10 vote on the bill, ard ne hoped
that TIE House would refuse 20 recon-
nit the Bill.
Sir. Digs said: Yesterday l was
opposed 70 having this bill sent back 20
tie committee, but 1 have no desire
Of ever appearing 10 be in 81 altitude
Of railroadiug auy measure through this
House. I know full well that no srgu
ment can De produced 70 change my
views OF the subject. but / do LOT wish
10 railroad through any bill, especially
one which effects such large Interests
in this State as those OF the farmers. ana
in view OF the fact that il * still rather
early 10 the session, AMI there Is still
sufficient time left 10 pass the measure,
therefore individually withdraw al
objections raised on Friday. aud an
willing 70 let the bill 60 back 70 the
committee. but Thick it would be bel
ter 10 refer i. 10 some other committee
than that OF COUNTIES. cities and towns.
Major Lee expressed in glowing
terms high regard for the patron OF the
bill. Mr. Maupin, whose wish il was TO
promote morality in this State. H
said he desired 70 utter few words Q;
commendation FOR the course taken by
TIE chairman (Mr. Digs OF the COM
mittee on counties. cities and towns.
The bill before the House involved
question too far-reachiug aud too vital.
and required the most careful consid-
Grafton, on the part OF the members.
Some gentlemen living in distant parts
OF this State, whose private interests
would be materially affected by iris
bill. desired TO be heard on the subjscs,
and al opportunity TO express their
views should be given them. After all,
the members OF the Legislature were
only the servants and not the masters
OF the people at large, ard the latter
had right to De heard. The bill, il:
passed by the General Assembly,
would materially affect the interests OF
the democratic party either for good or
for bad, aud this fact should not be dis
regarded on MS side OF the House.
Alr. Parker thought the question in
yolyed in the bill vas clearly moral
one, and no financial interests we're az
fected by it. The only question was
whether pool-selling or book-makiog
should be allowed. The bill did no;
forbid horse raciog nor did it forbid
that purses should be given by associa-
tons. There vas no doubt ir his mind as
to how he should vote in order 10 pre-
vent that the citizens in this State
be degraded. aud there was nothing for
him TO do to promote the morals OF
Virginia's citizens but to vote for the
dill, and inasmuch as there was
enough time 10 pass the bin he would
withdraw all his objections made on
the previous day to recommit the bill,
Mr.. Pitchers motion to send The b;l
back to the committee on counties,
cities and towns was then carried BIZ
vote of IS to u. Subsequently. when
the bill introduced by Mr. Reddy was
reached it was also recommitted.
II is thought that the committee viii
De called at an early day to again con-
slider the subject, when an opportunity
will be given to all who desire to be
heard TO express their views.
Mr.. Diggs has in MS possession bill
handed to him By gentlemen represent
ing the State Agricultural and Mechan-
ical Society. which ne has been asked
to present to the committee as SUBJ |
stitute for the Maupin and Rsddy bills. |
It prohibits winter racing and limits