The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-20

1neTe Is anolner lnlnB ABOVE tnls cdse'
We need a law against this thing in the
minds of the people if not on the statute
books the same as against duelling."
Here the speaker took up the case of the
lotteries. saying that Harvard, Yale and
other colleges had received moneys from the
same.
Referring to Chief Austin, he said: "chief
of Police Austin is the moral hero in this
community, and every one should shake his
hand at every opportunity. He stood a
hero as brave as julius Caesar, discharging
his duties to the very letter of the law.
"There is vast corporation of gamblers
scattered all over this country who succeed
ed in placing Birmingham in the ring. I
wish they had not betrayed the people of
Birmingham. And now that the fair is
closed the gambling goes on.
I'VE must address ourselves to the legis-
lature and have the law made constitution
al. Make it felony to sell pools on races.
In the meantime we must educate the NOR
al sentiment of the community. I think
the nobler sentiment of the community
when aroused will bring us to our senses.
No community is more ready or willing
when aroused to do right than Birmingham.
Whether this law is constitutional or not,
let 1t be wrong in our minds and our con-
sciences to gamble on races.
I'VE want the laymen to speak The
preachers may speak. We must have the
laity behind us. People are too quick to
say is it only the preachers?' They say
the preachers don't know any Thing about
human nature. A client goes to his lawyer
toII. LII. rIsl,. 1a-
lieves him. He goes to the preacher and
tells an untruth and thinks the preacher
believes him. The preachers don't"
Captain White followed DIR. Gray with
a few remarks, saying: 1.-The fair associa-
ton, as has been said, may be only in
cidental to the races, but it was the
originator. 1t made possible the bringing of
the races here, and it sold the privilege of
selling pools. The fair association is the
owner of Smiths Park, and can control
the park. The law against pool selling may
be unconstitutional, but 1t is against the
interests of the community"
James Dowron
James Bowron, treasurer of the Tonnes
see Coal, Iron and Railway company, was
the next speaker. He said: II live in Biz
mingham because I love it. l think Biz
mingham the best place in the world. L
am proud of the city, and am going to
stay proud of it." He told of the old Ro-
man custom of tieing a living man face to
face to corpse and leaving him there until
qualification rendered the corpse foul, and
said we found ourselves bound hand
to hand, face to face with corpse
we buried three years ago, and which
smells worse now than it did then.
Mr. Bowron urged that the races did not
bring any additional money to Birmingham.
He said the claim that each horse here
consumed 70 cents day feed was no argu-
ment; that the profit on feed stuff was very
small and netted the merchants an insig-
nifcant sum. As to the men who came
with the horse, he said they only ate what
somebody else would have eaten had they
not come they occupied rooms that would
have been occupied any way.
He argued that at the estimated average
of 1000 daily attendance at the fair and the
races the loss to Birmingham was $4,000
for the ten days the fair was open, basing
this argument on the statement that the
crowd was a mixed one and that the aver
age salary was $3.50 day. The loss of sal
airy, car fare, admission to the grounds, all
combined, he claimed would aggregate $780,
900 for the ten days. ne said this sum
would build a school of technology, libra
ry, or something else needed equally as
much in Birmingham.
Continuing he said Take the average
lad who earns $50 per month, and that's
fair average; seven hundred and twenty
dollars per year is 6 per cent interest on
$4,000 Now suppose eight boys go to the
devil as a result of the races, we lose $780,
GOO of the ccmmunitys wealth. Can we at
ford ft?
Morality Factor
He said that Birmingham was an indusN
trial center, that he has seen and convers-
ed with men who wanted to make invest
ments here, and that they were very care
full in making inquiries as to the moral
conditions of the town; its churches, its
schools, etc, and what influences would be
thrown around the men they might bring
here.
1.-The place where 1 was reared" he said,
sis the center of district which has 125
furnaces, rolling mills, etc., and when the
races come there all these plants shut down
for a whole week. 1t means a cessation of
work of 1000 men, In this country the
races are made almost continuous. The
spring races run almost into summer. The
whole thing is inconsistent with this COM
munity. They cannot get along together.
We must make our choice.
Laws are made for the protection of the
weak. A number of people gather together
and say we will make city, county,
state they call it a government. They
make certain laws and say the majority
shall rule. They lay down the principles
that preserve the weak; they make laws to
protect women and children. also laws say
ing nuisances shall not be maintained. We
have laws which say liquor shall not be
sold to men under a certain age. Why?
Because it is necessary to protect them
from it's evil effects until they are old
enough to bear its consequences.
ITO get is the instinct of mankind. 1t is
born In him. and dies with him. 1t is in
accordance with nature that every human