Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-14
THE RACING BILLS.
These Measures FdlIy Discussed Eelore
The Senate Committed
ciusens from Alexandria and Rich
mend Heard nj Length, hut Vote
Is Deferred Untn This aorn-
ing.

before the senate CotnHlttttc - -
Of Justice yesterday afternoon, ana was
freely discussed pro and con by number
OF gentlemen who are interested IN the
matter. The committee spent two hours
listening to argument, but postpoheo ac-
ton until this morning at 10 CLOCK "neh
they will make their report or II. Inc
matter had been referred TO a suD-com-
,al.tee. consisting OF Messrs. Little
,,uchanan. and Hay. but at the request
of Mr.. Little the entire committee near"
the argument, and Mr. Jones, the chu'-
man. presided.
There were present In the Senate cham
her when the committee assembled oe'-
cgntion of about forty from Alexandra
and a number OF horsemen from blch-
,nond on motion Of Mr.. Little II was
decided 10 limit argument TO one hour on
each side, and It was arranged that the
advocates OF the bill should have forty
Ave minutes in which to open. when they
should be succeeded by the opposition
who were to speak forty-iive minutes
The advocates should then close in fifteen
minutes, and their opponents should ioi-
low and occupy a like period.
AS soon as these preliminaries were
agreed Oh Senator Mushbach laid DeIore
the committee number Of letters from
Alexandria merchants protesting against
the continuance Of the present law ana
asking that the Maupin Dill he passed.
FOR THE MAUPIN BILL.
Mr.. George r. Hin was the first gentle
man to address the committee IN Dehai
OF the Maupin bill. He stated In the
outset that his delegation were repre-
senting what they conceived 10 be the
best interests of the State. He stated
, that the maintenance OF the two tracks
near Alexandria was a source OF reve-
noe to the city, but this advantage,
when compared with the injurious erect
II had on the morals Of the commu-
nifty. dwindled into insigniiicance. lie
characterized the element that frequent
cd the tracks as a class of men who
MADE IL unsafe for the women ana
children of Alexandria to travel between
that city and Washington. In expla-
nation of this. he said that 1t IRE
quently occurred that ladies' travelling
on the cars Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road between Alexandria and Washing
ton were insulted by the roughs who
were en- route from the latter city TO the
two tracks He laid down the PROPOSE
ton that the tracks were detrirnent
to Alexandria county, and argued at
some length I'm support OF It, He stated
that since winter-racing had ceased the
sales CT cocaine in Alexandria had de-
lsrecIated rs per cent, and, said he, lit
was not the horses who were rating,
but cocaine, and they tell me that the
poor horses who are doctored with this
drug and run over the tracks are sold
for 30 cents per dozen
TSURPED THEIR RIGHTS.
Mr. Frank C. Lyons, secretary of the
Citizens League OF Alexandria county,
was the next speaker. He set forth
that the league, OF which he was
secretary, had been organized simply
for the purpose OF suppressing the race
track evils in the county Of Alexandria.
lie spoke OF the close proximity Of the
city OF Washington to Alexandria coun-
ty and said that the 100000 popula-
ton Of the national capital completely
controlled the elections in the county.
The race-tracks were back Of this UNI
natural and Illegal control, and every
officer of the county was elected by them,
and forced 10 do their bidding. Mr..
Lyons referred 10 the law prevent
ing the operation of gaming-tables In
the State, and said that I'm order to
be consistent The Legislature should
either wipe that law of the statute
books or abolish the one permitting race
track gambling At the tracks II was
not a question Of having the horses
make fast time, but of having them
pass under the wire in the rotation that
had been arranged. He didn't care much
said, didn't hurt the old plugs that hob
bled or walked around the tracks
Mr.. Harry r. Burke, OF Alexandria.
was next introduced. and asked that the
Legislature pass laws to remedy the
state Of affairs existing in his county.
lie reviewed briefly what had been said
by the gentlemen who preceded him, and
endorsed their utterances
Mr.. George William Ramsey submitted
petition from the Alexandria people.
protesting against the passage OF the
pool-selling measure.
MEET THE ISSUE SQUARELY.
Rev w Asbury Christian, chairman
OF the committee appointed by the min
isters' union. of this city, TO advocate
the Maupin bill, was the next speaker.
and referred to the sights which had
come under his observation on tho
track at Richmond as revolving. He was
opposed. he said, to disseminating the
evil throughout the State, and said IL
II came to a question Of either per-
hitting pool-selling at Alexandria all
the year, or granting thirty days in
each community in the State, in Heavens
name keep IL at Alexandria.
Mr.. Lyone suggested to the committee
that II they decided to report the Reddy-
Pitcher bill. to insert q clause In II
prohibiting pooi-seiling within twenty
i've miles of Washington.
Mr.. Christian requested the committee
10 either report the Maupin bill favora-
bly, or TO let the whole thing alone.
SIR. j. r. Trimyer closed the discussion
fer the advocates of the Maupln bill,
setting forth. In brief his idea Of the
necessities for some legislation
ADVOCATES OF POOL-SELLING
The opposition speakers were then in
troduced. and Mr.. Heber Ker, secretary
of the staunton Agricultural Society
first addressed the committed In the
outset ne spoke OF and deprecated
Alexandria county. lie couldn't con-
ceive, however, that any such thing
could exist Ia any other county OF the
State. He spoke directly In the inter-
est OF bis county. and said Staunton
had no Washington to send wagabonds
70 Its track He had only had pool
selling on his track one season, and had
seen no detrimental result therefrom.
The pools had been sold In an orderly
fashion. aud no young man or young
woman had been ruined or contamina-
ted. Racing, he said, had been going
on from time immcmorial: II had been
INDUCED In by our forefathers He would
Ike 10 see legislation Ia behalf OF Alex
andria county. but he didn't want TO
have the legislation 10 help Alexandra
prove boomerang to the rest of the
STATE Racing Was the life OF fairs
and pool-seliing was the life OF racing
Nopody wanted 10 30 TO fair and look
only az fat hog. or fat bull all the
time They wanted racing. and If the
wouldn't attend them. and the .asricvl-
tpfal associations would be xyined o,,t