Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-03-19
DAILY PAPERS TO BLAME FOR
RACE RACK GAMBLING.

The great cause of gambling. immor-
ality and crime. is the space given to
so.callcd horse racing in the daily
newspapers.
The race course as IL Is managed
and run ut present has taken the place
of the gambling houses which once
nourished in all Of the cities of the
land.
Where there was one gambler under
the old system of secluded gambling
houses, there are 10000 to-day.
The daily newspapers not only ex-
plot the attractive features of the race
track he'll holes. but they hire men to
pick the winners for the unwary and
to encourage the youth of the land to
bet and to gamble.
The daily newspapers are the pimps
and pandercrs of this atroclous gam
bling game and are sending thousands
of young men to hell every month.
1t was with surprise therefore that
we noticed the following editorial In
the Chicago Record-Ilcrald of Tues
day:
Race track gambling Is n plague
to this city that is comparable to the
lottery plague which has such de-
moralizing influence In some foreign
countries. and 1t should give the direc'
tors of the Chicago Telephone Com
pany Il sharp twingc of conscience
when they reflect that their plant i.
now the chief agency for spreading thu
| faint.
As employers of labor they must
realize wildly what menace the gam
| Ing habit Is to thousands of employees
| In every kind of business. They know
beyond Il doubt that IL has ruined
scores upon scores of young men In
salared positions. that 1t has bightcd
many home in which husband or sol
has become It's victim, that 1t ha'
| caused thctts and dcfalcations which
| have inflicted serious loss upon con
Germs In whose employ such victims
| were. Yet. incredible rs 1t may seem
despite this knowledge, they are con
tent to 20 on aiding ana abetting the
appallingly vicious scheme of the gam
bling kings, to be associates with then
in the destruction of character and the
bringing of sorrow and suffering no
only to those who have succumbed t.
the gaming passion, but to the innocent
women and children of their distresse,
families.
THE reason IL Of course because thu
association brings them profit. but i
Is n profit that Is rs tainted rs IT.
source, and 1t is certain to arouse ~
indignant public sentiment against thu
corporation which has, 1t would seem
no popularity to spare. How can thu
influential directors, the responsible
managers, hesitate then as to theil
future policy? How can they talk Of
difficulties when no difficulties exist
when the character of their crimina
patrons Is so notorious, the method Ol
conducting their operations so suspi
cious. that the pretense that 1t IL i'm
possible to discriminate against then
will nowhere be accepted!
obviously they must break the con
nection or share the infamy as well ~
the profits of the gambling combine
We agree with the Record-lierald
that race track gambling Is plague
to this city
But the telephone company Is moi
| to blame for it in any way.
| Under the present wise ana abl'
| management, the Chicago Telephone
Company is blessing to the city, an,
| TO n great extent conseryator 0l
morals.
If it We're not for newspaper "forll
| sheets" newspaper tips newspaper
| race dope" newspaper gossip abou
the blacklegs who race their horses an'
| who run the race tracks, there w0ul'
be no race tack information to tele
| phone.
| Let the newspapers cease to pande
| to the race tracks and To the unfortu
| mates who follow the game, and race
| track gambling will soon cease to III
n plague to Chicago and n menace L
the youth Of the land
| -----.