The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-28
CHIEF wITTMAN's ACTIVITY.

and well directed measures for the suppress
- sion of pool-selling that there is fair
prospect the evil will be greatly diminished, if not
absolutely stopped At any rate, the booksellers will
have carry their illicit trade secretly it will
be no longer entcement and temptation to the
youth of the city and to the public generally.
The supervision exercised by the police over the
cigar trade has had its good effect already The pool
sellers who used the cigar business as a mask be-
hind which to carry the sale of pools have found
themselves exposed and will be compelled to give
up the practice. The results will in the end be bene
fetal to the legitimate cigar trade, and the annoy
of the supervision will be overlooked by reason
of the benefits that flow from it. That much is SO
well understood by legitimate dealers who have never
made practice of pool-selling that they may be
counted among the frmest supporters of the reso-
lutte policy of the Chief.
The activity OF the police in the suppression of
pool-selling comes at most opportune time There
have been reports of late of the Intention at least
the desire, of certain parties to reopen Inglesde
track for racing, with the accompaniment of book
making. 1t is just as we'll to have any such move
ment stopped at once San Francisco has had ample
experience of the results of unlimited racing and
track gambling at Ingleside, and has not forgotten
the lesson taught by the experience The public still
retains the memory OF some at least of the many de-
alcations, entertainments forgeries robberes, muir
ders, suicides and other crimes resulting from the
gambling mania acquired at the track. Many home
in the city has been blighted by those crimes and
well nigh every class of people have been affected by
them
1t is to be borne in mind that the movement for
the reopening of Ingleside does not mean
merely a resumption of racing. To that there
would be no objection In fact, under the
law the management of the track has right
to hold races there at this time if it should
choose to do So The objection is to book-making
and to other forms of gambling at the track.
Horse-racing, inasmuch as it tends TO promote the
breeding of fine horses, is in itself good. The evil
lies in the gambling that accompanies it. The fight,
therefore, is not in any fight against racing
any more than against horse-breedng. 1t is directed
exclusively to the prevention of gambling.
1t matters in the least whether the proposal for
reopening Ingleside ccme from the present manage
ment of the track or from any other or set of
men, The objection is to the track gambling ITSELF
and not to any particular management The fact that
one set Of men might it more properly than
other does not count in the problem. If the track
be reopened and bookmaking other forms of gam
bling be permitted there the results bound to be
similar to those which in the past reused the moral
sense of the whole community and brought about
that crusade against the evil which led to ats sup
preston. Under no circumstances, then, should
there be permitted revival of track gambling at
Ingesde Upon that issue the better elements of the
people should be united and resolute 1t is upon
which there should be compromise.
1t is not to be overlooked that one of the best
methods OF putting stop to the proposed movement
for reopening Ingeside track will be that of
strengthening the hands of CHEF Whitman in his e-
forts to suppress the illicit pool-selling that has been
going on in the city. Should the support given to
Whitman be openly and emphatically pronounced the
men who have been promoting the scheme for
opening Ingleside will see at that their efforts
would meet with an overwhelming resistance and
they will abandon it. On the other hand, if the eff
forts of the police against the existing practice OF
poo-seing be coldly received, the Ingleside
schemers will conclude that sentiment is longer
averse to their scheme and they will be correspond
ingly encouraged to undertake it. Chief Wittmans
activity comes, therefore, opportunely 1t will not
only put stop to existing poolselling, but check
scheme to set up booknakng within the city. The
Chief then, is doing the right thing in the right
way and al the right time 1t is the duty of all good
citizens to sustain him.