Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-14
THE RACE TRACK BILL.

ate committee on courts of justice for
three hours yesterday evening. 1t was
arranged that the friends of the Maupin
bill should have forty-6ve minutes to
state their views and its opponents the
same length of time in which to reply,
then both sides should close in fifteen
minutes each.
Mr.. George R. Hill, of this city, was
first heard. He said that, while he adj
mitted that the St. Asaph and Alex
ander Island tracks had been of slight
advantage pecuniarily to the business
interests of Alexandria, when the moral
welfare of the youth of the city was
taken into consideration, it dwindled
into nothing. The set of men, he said,
who attend these tracks made it unsafe
for the wives and daughters of Alex
andria's citizens to travel the short dis
lance to Washington on the cars be-
tween Alexandria and Washington,
and scenes had happened on the public
cars that he was ashamed to relate to
the committee. The only argument
that he had ever heard in favor
of these tracks was the pecuniary
advantage that they brought to the
city of Alexandria, and he claimed that
this alleged advantage was more than
overbalanced by its great disadvantage
to the morals of the community. he
said that since the stoppage OF racing
at these tracks he was told that cocaine
had deprecated in price, and that the
animals into which it was injected sOlo
for so cents a dozen. Mr.. Hill con,
cluded by saying that the Maupin bill
was the friend of the farmer, and tend
ed to the promotion of law and order.
Capt. Mushbach then introduced to
the committee Mr.. Frank Lyon, secre-
tary of the Citizens League of Alexan-
dria county.
Mr.. Lyon said that this league had
been formed for the protection of the
people of his county. The condition OF
things there, he said, was desperate.
There were twenty-seven licensed sa-
looms. which furnished liquor for 3OO,-
600 people across the river. There
were 1000 voters, of which 500 were
negroes, and the vote of the county
was controlled entirely by the race
tracks. Alexandria county was the
dumping ground for the scum of hui
manity who wished to evade the laws.
In reply to question as to whether he
thought the passage of the Maupin bill
would prevent private betting, he said
he did not think that was question
with which the legislature had any
thing to do.
Mr.. Lyon was followed by Mr.. Harry
R. Burke, of this city, who spoke along
the line followed by those who pre-
coded him.
Mr.. G. W. Ramsay then briefly adj
dressed the committee and presented a
petition signed by large number OF
representative citizens of Alexandria,
{ praying for the passage of the Maupin
bill.
The next speaker was Rev. w. AS.
bury Christian, of Richmond, represent
ing a committee from the Protestant
Minister'S Union, composed of Rev.
Messrs. Pollard, Gravatt and Fair. Mr..
Christian spoke strongly against the
Reddy bill, claiming that its result
would be to scatter the poison all over
the State, thirty days at each place.
Mr.. ]. II. Trimyer, of this city, next
addressed the committee. He denied
that the tracks were of any pecuniary
benefit to Alexandria's merchants, and
urged that relief be given the people of
that city and county.
Mr.. George Med. Blake then intro.
duced Mr.. Heber Ker, secretary of the
Staunton Agricultural Society. He
spoke for the opposition. MIR. Ker's
speech was to the effect that the con-
ditions existing at Alexandria were
purely local and could exist at no other
place.
MIR. E. E. Downham, president of ST.
Asaph track, said that he had never
seen in all his experience an alteration
upon these tracks, and he did not
know where these gentlemen who
spoke against them got their informa
ton, unless it was from the Washington
press.
Col. Sicles, of Alexandria county, de.
clared emphatically that the tracks had
been of great benefit to the county, on
account of the large amount of money
that the management had expended in
the county, and that land had enhanced
in value in consequence.
Sheriff William II. Palmer, of Alex
andria county, said that he had never
seen any disturbances at the tracks and
had never made any arrests there. AS
to the statement that ladies were in-
suited on the regular trains, he said he
did not know OF it. In answer to ques-
tions by Mr.. Mushbach, the sheriff said
that there had been negro officials in
the county of Alexandria before the
tracks had ever been there. He adj
mitted, in answer to queries by Mr..
Little, that there were, he thought,
policy shops both in Alexandria city
aud county.
Mr.. James R. Cation of this city then
took the floor to close the argument on
behalf of the advocates of the Maupin
bill. He said that the most dangerous
form of vice was that clothed with re-
spectability. He had no wish to antag-
onize the agricultural societies, but he
was of the opinion that if they could
not exist without gambling, they should
not exist at MI.
Mr.. Cation went on to recall to the
minds of the committee laws which had
been enacted in the past to suppress
the very evil which the people of Alex.
andria were now crying out against,
but how they had utterly failed to meet
the case. He ridiculed the idea of the
Legislature enacting law to protect
the interests of agricultural associa-