The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-18
#acs 900 HoS~Oev Os " 90 &c " % ~ ~ " ~
POOL SELLING
DISCUSSED BY
THE SENATORS
Consideration of the
Braunhart Bill.
ALL AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
GOES OVER TO MONDAY, WHEN
A VOTE WILL BE TAKEN.
ALL AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
Prohibits the Selling of Pools ANY
where but on Race Tracks, and
Limits 1t There to Thirty
Days a Year.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO. Feb. 17.-This was booksellers
dav before the Senate, and it was day
of alternating clouds and sunshine. Sen
ator Rraunhart's bill to restrict poolsell-
ing came up for final passage, fought It's
way through the morning session until
the Senate had to adjourn for the joint
ballot at noon. The last of half-dozen
amendments had just been voted down,
and still the bill held its own. The bill
provides that there shall be no poolselling
anywhere in the State except at a race
track and then not to exceed thirty days
in a year in any county. : There are other
things which it prohibits, but they are
already in the gambling statute, and were
merely copied into the bill, all but 'hokey-
pokey.
Upon close inspection of the statute
Senator Bulla found that the word hockey
pokey'' had been omitted from the bill, and
he gravely arose to amend by adding the
word "hokey-pokey." He was asked to ex-
plain. but he declined on the ground OF
ignorance and innocence, and then the
Senate voted down the amendment.
Senator Braunhart raked the poolrooms
over and over, and when he rose to speak
in support of his measure he had to hight
against the adverse report OF the commit
tee on Public Morals to which it had been
referred. and to have time enough he Sc
Iected the bill for his place on the urgency
file which was under consideration to-day.
Rraunhart declared he cared nothing for
the report of the Committee on Public
Morals, for he said he knew well what in
huences had been brought to bear there,
a statement which afterward brought
Ieayitt to his feet with the remark that
Braunhart was not responsible. Braun
hart replied by saying that Leavitt would
not be favoring the bill if he had not the
programme concession at the Oakland
track. Then the gavel drowned further
words. 80,
amendment. He wanted to strike on: that
part of the act which included the pool
sellers and all his clients and employees:
Ashe explained that he was in favor or
restricting racing; there was too much OF
it altogether he thought; but he belleVed
it would kill racing if betting was stopped.
1t was unconstitutional, he declared, TO
allow pool selling at the race track and
prohibit it elsewhere, and, besides, he
said he was opposed to that class or leg
Senator Jones, who seldom rises to
| speak, grew sufficiently enthusiastic to
warn the Senate against fostering any
thing that would ',in1ure any man or ms
son." Braunhart declared he would will
ingly accept an amendment prohibiting
poll selling on tracks, too, If some Sena-
! tor would introduce 1t, but nobody would.
| Then Leayitt called on the Senate to beat
| all the amendments and then beat the bill
| an appeal WnlCn brought senator snort
| ridge in evidence.
SRortridge wanted to strike out the en-
| acting clause, but he was declared out of
order. Then he pronounced all such leg
islation nonsense, declared that private
business and the regulation of private
! affairs was no concern of the Senate and
| he objected to meddling.
The amendment was voted upon and de-
feated Il vas vas At this time that Bulls
vainly submitted his amendment supply
ing the unfortunate deficiency. Cutter
wanted to know something about "hokey-
pokey" and Dickinson : suggested it might
plain the Senators had not run against
the game.
portion which exempts race tracks from
the prohibition clause, saying If poolseil-
ing is bad anywhere it is equally SO
Curtin seemed to favor a general prohi-
| bition or none. but the amendment fol-
lowed its predecessors; Then Ashe tried
again by adding a little to RowelYs pre-
| vious amendment. His effort was voted
down. Stratton moved to add few
! words allowing poolselling on 'Fabiola
day. in Oakland, but again the noes had
| II.
Curtin submitted an amendment allow
! ing sixty days racing, instead OF thirty.
1t was a new tack and the Senate rose TO
the bait. Leayitt, however, declared If
racing was bad it should be stopped alto
gether, but BOyce saw the claw in the
catspaw and said it was right and proper
to begin by degrees, and when he found
the enemy opposing AWNING ne oelieved
ment, but Jones grew voluble again, and
said it would only give more time for
harm. He thought harm enough could
be done in thirty days.
Wolfe wanted the time extended even
beyond sixty days, for he said under that
limit 1t would not pay Eastern men to
bring their horses out here.
Braunhart offered an amendment to the
amendment making it forty-fve days in
stead of sixty. 1t was lost. Then the
sixty day amendment was voted on and
lost. 1t was IL o'clock and the Senate
had to adjourn for the joint ballot, sc
Braunhart's bill, still unamended was
laid aside. In the afternoon it was taken
LID again. only to be laid over until Mon