Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-03-25
THE HORSE BREEDERS BILL.
Hon. c. F. Clark Explains the Merits
of the Measure-It Shuts Of the
Pool Alley Fiends and
Otherwise Restricts
Gambling.

damDfng.
Correspondence Of the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, March 24.-This meas
ure, which was formulated by the Mis-
souri, Horse Breeders and Owners AS
sociation, has elected considerable
comment through the press and it may
be of interest to the readers of the
LEDGER to learn more fully some of
the important provisions of the bill,
and the conditions that confronted us,
which prompted such action. We con-
slider that the pool alley contingent,
that are plying their nefarious craft
day and night the year round in all the
large cities of this State, present the
most dangerous feature to the horse
business that ever threatened the life
of any industry. These pool rooms are
located on many of the best streets in
our large cities, inviting all classes,
young and old, rich ana poor, to join
them in gambling orevery race of any
importance that takes place in the
United States, Canada or Europe, and
are using that noble animal, the horse,
as a mere machine to carry out their
unholy purposes, thereby making the
horse and the horse breeder a mere
adjunct to their craft. There seems to
be an attraction to those dens of ini-
putty that are hard for an average boy
to Withstand, and there are now hun
dreds of men and boys who have stains
upon their characters that time will
never efface, caused by the seductive
influences of the pool room alley gang.
Many a man has robbed his family of
the necessities of life On their account,
and many a poor boy has wasted his
last cent and even stolen from his en-
ployer in trying ''bis luck" as they
call it, at these games.
Such are the conditions that con-
front the horse business without a
single word on the statute book of the
State to either regulate, hinder or re-
strain them. We recognize that gam
bling on horse races ia an evil that has
existed for hundreds of years, and
that it cannot be blotted out Of exist
once in a day, but it should be regu-
lated and controlled and the most
dangerous and vicious features elimi-
mated. The best attorneys in the State
seem to agree that the only safe way
to get relief and control this vice is
through the license plan, thereby plac-
ing them under police regulation the
same as we now do saloons. The State
has attempted several times to enact
laws to restrain the pool men, but none
of them have stood the constitutional
test and we are now compelled to re-
sort to the license feature, which
serves in the capacity Of a halter and
places the beast under the control of
the State. The law that was passed in
1896 was very much in line with the
Breeders" bill; however, it did not go
so far and kill as much of gambling,
but it was a step in the right direction.
That law did not suit the gamblers and
they successfully contested the con-
and received a verdict
in their favor from the Supreme Court
of the State, but from the way they
fought the Breeders" bill we are sat-
isfied that they also think it will stand
the test of the courts. The Breeders
bill provides:
First. That an.parties who sell pools
or register bets must take out a license
from the State SO to do,and the money
so obtained Is to be paid into the State
treasury to the credis of the State
Board of Agriculture, and to be used
by them for the purpose of encourage
ing the breeding and development of
the horse.
Second. 1t prohibits all pool selling
registering of bets of any kind on
races in other states or foreign
Third. 1t prohibits all pool selling
or registering of betB from the 18th
day of November of each year until
the 18th day of the following April,
and then only between the hours of 10
O'Clock q. m. and z o'clock p. m,
which kills the winter and night rae
ing when it Is done alone for gambling
purposes and not for the development
of the horse.
Fourth. It provides that all pool
selling or registering of bets shall be
conducted on the enclosure of a re-
spectacle race track and then only on
the races that are actually taking
place on that track.
Fifth. The bill further provides that
any pool seller, book maker or reg
lister of bets who accepts bets from any
minor can be punished by a fine of
one Thousand dollars, OF by imprison-
ment for one year, or by both such
fine and imprisonment.
This bill will kill at least eighty per
cent of the gambling which now ex-
lists in the State on horse races, and
at the same time puts a strong arm of
protection about our boys, which we
think is sufficient to commend itself to
all good citizens.
G. II. CLARK,
Pres. Horse Breeders Assn.