Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-01-16

Chairman Diggs stated that 1t hat
been decided to give an hour to the
consideration of the measure and the
Reddy bill, which allows pool-selline
on certain tracks for thirty days in each
year. :,
Mr.. Maupin read his bill. He said
he had waited until the Christmas holi
days, thinking that some more ex
perienced member would introduce
such bill. When he saw no such
measure forthcoming, he determined
to prepare bill himself.
Mr.. Willard arose to explain his posi-.
ton, and to advocate the Maupin bill
at present, pool-selling is forbidden, he
said, except upon the tracks of agri.
cultural societies and riding and driv-
ing associations. 1t does confne bet
ting to few tracks in this
State-one in Richmond and two
in Alexandria county-and while
the letter of the law had not been VIC
lated in Alexandria, yet this had con-
stantly been done with its spirit. ''It
was my intention to do everything ]
could to wipe out the stain inflicted on
this State By the evils existing in that
county, and my first inclination was
that other tracks, which had done
nothing in violation of the law, should
not suffer under it. l was, therefore,
willing, if such legislation could be had.
to protect these tracks, and at the
same time wipe out the tracks of Alex
andria. 1t does seem hard to have one
set of people suffer for another's vio'
lation of the law.
My position in regard to the agricul-
tural societies, however, has changed.
1t has been reported to me, by very
good authority, that any bill which
allows pool selling anywhere within
the State of Virginia would be vetoed
by the Governor. While I am willing
to support and champion measure
which seeks to control the evil in
Alexandria, yet l am also willing to
allow others, who have not violated the
law, to do their betting, and l am per-
fectly willing to 60 on record to that
extent. unhesitatingly champion the
position OF favoring such bill as the
one introduced by Mr.. Maupin. Ifany
other bill was passed by the House, and
it was vetoed by the Governor, then
we would still have in Alexandria the
same condition Of affairs as before.
The state of affairs in Alexandria is
not only local discredit, but it is dis
credit to this grand old State, and 10
every county of it, for outsiders would
not make any distinction between the
various counties but judge them all
alike. 1t should be wiped out, and if
this cannot be done in any other way
than by those who own interests in
other race tracks, sacrificing their in
terests, then this should rather be done
than to sacrifice the good name of this
grand old Commonwealth.
Winter racing, as it has existed in
Alexandria, cannot be favored by any
honest-minded citizen. There racing
has been going on all the year round, /,
and yet g man would have no more
show of winning race there than he
would in a race of billygoats, for have
my information from a person who has
been running horses there. The two
race courses in Alexandria county are
on the same footing, and the condition
Of lawlessness in that county is due to
the race courses. endorse the Maupin
bill, but trust the legislature will take
speedy action and wipe out of existence
the stigma in Alexandria.
Mr.. Reddy, the patron of the bill
which allows pool-selling on tracks of
agricultural societies and riding and
driving associations for fifteen days in
spring and fifteen days in fall, next ad-
dressed the committee by saying that
being member of that body himself,
be would like Mr.. Maupin to give up
his time to gentlemen who desired to
speak on his side. He then introduced
Williams F. Wickham.
appear before this honorable body,
Colonel Wickham said, on behalf of the
State Agricultural and Mechanical So
ciety, and also on behalf of the horse
raising industry of Virginia. Had it
not been for the abuses existing in
Alexandria l feel confident we would
have never heard of such bill as has
been introduced by Mr.. Maupin. The
State Agricultural Society is just as
much opposed to the existing evils in
Alexandria as Mr.. Maupin is, and
therefore, this society recently passed 8
resolution adverse to winter racing, and
fixing horse racing in such way q:
to restrict the holding of race meetings
candidly believe that should the
Maupin bill be passed, it would be the
death blow to the State Agriculture
Society and all similar organizations
From 1892 to 1894 no pool selling was
allowed on the tracks Of our associa
ton, and this fact proved to he most
disastrous from financial point O.
view. But | dare to say you cannot
prevent betting any more by enactine
o law that you can prevent drinking.
Mr.. G. McD. Blake, president of thu
Richmond Driving Association, in op
posing the Maupin and advocating tht
Reddy bill, said "The idea that thu
| governor would veto any measur,
which allows pool-selling to any extent
is simply preposterous. The people o
Virginia are independent enough ant
possess sufficient character to carry ou
what they deem best, and they will no
be influenced by the veto of any gov
ernor. We are in favor of driving ou
tbe evils st Alex andria, and that Cal