The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-27
not AGAINST RACING
The kew. Joha /. sscudder
Says the Amendment Is
to Kill Pool Selling.
An END TO DISHONEST LEGISLATORS
Hoboksn Preachers Urge Their
Congregations to Vote for the
Constitutional Changes.

AT the Tabernacle last night the Rev.
John L. Scudder preached on the Con-
stitutional Amendments to be voted upon
tomorrow, which he called "A last shot
at the Gamblers"
1.-THE State OF New Jersey he said, 'is
thoroughly aroused over the anti-gam-
bling amendment. and realizes the inn
portance Of the special election next
Tuesday. The campaign has been short
but incisiye, and Wednesday morning /
believe the papers win announce a tri-
umLpha victory Tor law ana order. 1t
is now generally understood that the OBJ
ject OF Inns amendment is not TO put a
siop TO horse racing. No sensible per-
son objects TO that. The horse is a no.
ole animal, and Il fast horse is preferred
TO a slow one. Racing is not a sin, but
gambling at race tracks is a curse both
10 individuals and the community. We
have hau enough of it in New Jersey,
ana we are SO we'll satisfied with the
present ~anti-gambling statute hat we
want il written into The constitution of
the State. where it will be beyond The tim
kering of venat legislatures, which not in
frequently insult and defy the people who
elected them.
There is mueh gain in a constitutional
amendment, inasmuch as its subject mat
ter Is not liable to annual alteration or
abrogaIion. IL has an element of per-
nlanenee and stability unknown 10 the
statute, which latter may be changed at
any Session of the Legislature. Without
This proposed a-nti-gambling amendment
our so-cailed representatives at Trenton
could legaiize gambling whenever they
pleased, p thus give encouragement
and protection 10 the enemies of social or
der. II is Well known that the average
Legislature can be bought as easily as
men buy turnips or potatoes. The State
House is virtually a market where
amendment as the one which we are now
contending for, the ready cash OF the gam
bling fraternity will at some opportune
moment purchase the nefarious privileges
they desire, n again inaugurate the dis
graceful practices of Gutenberg and
Gloucester.
There is in this country a growing dis
trust of representative government, n
1t IS eminentIy fitting that the people
should vote directly on great matters that
concern themselves and the welfare of
referendum, that is, the people them
selves will create legislation without the
Intervention Of untried Representatives.
We shah maxi the law ourselves, and
not vote that others shall make laws for
us. This is pure democracy, and l believe
in it, n / hope the day will come when
this principle will apply to all important
to the Constitution.
AT present gambling at race tracks
happens by statute to be unlawful, but
can ~prophesy. According to the present
faulty system, we are at the mercy OF
ever-ehanging Legislatures and some day
we shall find that Our representatives
have sold out to the gamblers. 1 object
to this uncertainty and likelihood of moral
disaster l want to see this question
settled and taken out of the hands of ir-
responsible lawmakers. If this amend
ment passes it will remove all doubt and
end the long warfare in behalf of right
e~ousness and peace and happy homes. 1t
will be to the gamblers what Yorktown
was to CORVALLIS or Waterloo to Napo-
leon. 1t will end our labors as far as the
law IS concerned. and enabl us to con-
centrate our energies on its enforcement.
Now let it be remembered that the
question before US is not a political or
sectarian question. Democrats, Repub-
licans, Mugwumps. Populists and Prohi-
bitionists viii march shoulder to shoulder
against the common foe. Catholics. Pro
t~estants, Hebrews and Agnostics will
stand on this common platform of simple
virtue. This is a great moral question in
which every good citizen should be in
terested and do his utmost to establish.
Let every decent man, then, lend a hand
in the forthcoming battle. Let each one
feel that the result depends upon his In
dividual vote. Let business and pleasure
be temporarily suspended in the interests
of good citizenship. One supreme effort
| on Tuesday ana the victory will be ours.
| Let every ballot be a dagger to pierce
this arrogant gambling monster and lay
him low in the dust"