Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-07-14


Of amusement, even restaurants are
tightly closed on that day, the streets
are almost deserted-in short il would
be difficult matter to reform" il in
any particular. During the LIST ses-
sion Of the 54tA Congress, ] do not
think | exaggerate when l say that
Crafts had a dozen Sunday Rest
Bills" introduced for the salvation of
God-forsaken Washington, anu that
be harangued the committee on them
a score Of times in a very domineer-
ing and insulting way. When the
committee was not in session to be
harangued, he harangued me. How
ever, ] still live and know Crafts
pretty well. ! believe my records as
clerks will show that DR. Crafts
occupied more of the committees val
liable time than any other ten men
com bined At the outset Crafts would
have the street-cars stopped, railroad
ticket offices closed, Sunday papers
tabooed. etc. | do not think / mis-
state, though have not the bills by
me, at any rate ! give fair sample
Of his ..reforms. cannot say
whether Washingtonians were to be
allowed to ca. on the first day Of the
week or not. From time 20 time he
modified his bills, but as they were
always fanatical in the extreme and
as no one appeared to speak in their
behalf b9: Crafts, the committee re-
fused to change the existing Sunday
law under which the people of Wash
ington were content to live and which
was admirably enforced. Thus, Crafts
was turned down, and his threats
against MIR. Babcock were numerous.
1t is to be presumed that the other
fourteen members of the committee
are no% suffering the same fate as
Mr.. Blbcock, FOR the committee was
unanimous in voting Crafts an insult
ferabe nuisance | had occasion
to vote him one myself.
He sent out circular petitions from
Maine TO California, TO churches and
religious bodies, which were signed
by the members of these bodies and
came back to the District Committee
where filed them. There were thou
sands and thousands of signatures.
The people who signed did SO from
worthy motives, but they knew moth
ing of conditions in Washington and
simply subscribed their names at
Crafts dictation Often on Sunday
as | looked over the quiet town from
Capitol Hill, / could not refrain from
laughing to think of the petitions
from such places as Butte, or Chey-
enne. or some other mining camp out
in Colorado, places that run wide
open" asking congress to give Wash
ington day of rest.
The statements contained in Nj.
Dayison's letter as to the racing bill
are absolutely and ludicrously false.
A bill was introduced to prohibit
gambling at race-course in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. The race tracks
were scandalously conducted, we
quite uncontrolled. The committee
favorably considered the bill. and so
framed it with the aid Of the lawyers
on the committee and others inter-
estod in the suppression of race track
gambling, as to leave no loop-hole for
the booksellers and book-makers.
Crafts opposed it violently. He had
previously opposed the New York law
aimed at pool-selling, on the ground
that it was "a gamblers law The
New York law passed in spite of
Crafts and proved very successful
in its workings. 1t was charged at
the time Crafts was working against
the New York law, that he was in the
pay OF Peter De Lacy, the millionaire
bookseller, and that he opposed it
not as he said, because it was too
loose. but because it would kill his
employers business. There was much
to support the charge. Mr.. Babcock's
committee was informed of Crafts
New York record by one OF its mem
bers, congressman from New York
state Of wide reputation, who took
great interest in the bill for the sup
preston Of race track gambling in
the District Of Columbia, and incor-
poratel into it many Of the wise pro-
visions Of the New York law. HE
! tMr Babcock) recommended biz
] kn