New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-08
ATTACK RACE GAMBLING
CALL IT BLOOD MONEY"
Big Delegation of Church Societies
at albany Hearing.
Iny Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Albany, March Opponents of the Percy
Gray law, under which betting at racetracks II
permitted at a hearing to-day before the Joint
Codes Committee on the Cassidy Lansing Dill
to wipe out gambling. characterized that law as
a contract between the state and the gamblers
by which Newly accepted blood money-the
punder of legalzed robbery" A monster dele
CATION of church societies attended the hearing
to advocate the Cassidy measure. No opponents
to that bill appeared but a hearing will be held
next Wednesday. at which Joseph S Auerbach'
representing the various racing associations and
some prominent owners. will present the views
of those opposed to the measure.
The only opposition to-day was shower OF
kilograms from county fair organizations. which
descended on various legislators, beseecnlns
them not to vote for the Cassidy BILL The agri-
cultural societies now receive per cent OF tne
gate receipts-the blood money" to which many
of the speakers referred. Under the terms OF
bill recently introduced by Senator CoggeshAh
the 8 per cent is increased to per cent
The Rev. A s. Gregg acted as master OF
ceremonies for the advocates OF the DILL Inc
first speaker was Anthony Comstock' who de-
ciared that the Percy-Gray law was only
leealized violation of the constitution. He de-
clared that gambling was the worst form of or
binary immortality.
THE public morals are sacrificed he declared,
"that the gamblers may have s5 per cent OF the
proceeds Of thefts defalcations and frauds. while
the state gets miserly per cent Of blood
money"
He read newspaper clippings and related in
stances In his own knowledge where wives and
children had starved while the husbands and
fathers had gambled away their wages.
"I never knew those who are so solicitous
about the breed Of horses to care much about
the breed Of children" said he
He urged that the state. affair Of
economy appropriate the 100000 which the
agricultural societies now receive. saying that
the expenses of courts and prisons would be
diminished by more than that amount If the
gambling prohibited.
Senator Cassidy declared that the intent and
letter of the constitution were violated by the
Percy-Gray law He told OF the constitutional
convention, and read an impassioned speech de-
livered then by Edward Lauterbach. denouncing
gambling and gamblers.
THE next year the Percy-Gray bill was
adopted" said he. I'VE might rust as well toss
the constitution out of the window. impotent as
a rope of sand to check the IL we not to
be bound by the organic law Of the state
The Rev. W. +. Crafts. of the International
Reform Bureau. said the reason the opponents
of the Cassidy bill had not appeared was that
no one could argue for gambling rum. There
was mora gambling at Saratoga in twenty days.
he said, than at Monte Carlo In a year. The
gambling bills and gambling industry at present
represented the vilest form Of immortality, by
pocrtsy and an absolute monopoly. They were
stirring up their victims to a kind OF anarchy
against the laws, which would permit victims
to be robbed. He went on:
We cry out against trustees that trifle with
sacred trust but every gambler does that, for
all ie
made worse by hypocrisy. Never IN any church
was there such hideous and hateful hypocrisy
as that of this gambling monopoly. 1t pre-
tends to be jealous for improving the breed or
horses" for "the sport of kings" for the re-
straint of gambling, but the real motive is to
monopolize the profits Of gambling
Worse even than the Beef Trust, the Coal
Trust and the Ice Trust, that hold the people
up for the necessities of life. is the race gam
bling trust, which undermines morals and IS
so dangerous TO property interests While thls
law stands every effort to suppress gambling
outside of racetracks In this state is under the
suspicion of corrains all who wish to gamble
into the racetracks where this vice is treated
virtue
There are two objections to the bills which
should be met First. that per cent or the gate
money of this gambling trust goes 10 county 1alrs
and agricultural associations. Here bribery Is
added to the three other sins of gambling, ny
pocrisy and monopoly. II the farmers OF New
York State can be either fooled or bribed into the
support of a gambling monopoly they will have
TO abandon their claim to sturdy morality and
intelligence. When the issue is fairly stated l
believe the farmers of this state Will 'hre a
shot heard around the world" at the trust that
has thought to fool corrupt them. A man
knows little of the costs of gambling TO tax
payers who supposes that per cent of their
nI1inder taken from honest business will even
repay that. Suppose half as much Is spent IN
gambling as in drink In the natlon az ;astsad
of the home curse would mean S2OOOOOOUO
more for the farmer for raw materials OF rood
and raiment and residences.