The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-16
AGREES TO CHECK GAMBLING.
JOCKEY CLUB HAS MADE PROMISE
TO CONFERENCE or RELIGIONS,

DR.. sllcer Calls IL Agreement, DIR. Crafts
Calls 1t Contract 10 BE Go6d-It Affects
Relations With ROokmakers-COn.
ference AbandOns Antl.G ambllng Bill.
News Of a so-called contract" between
the Jockey Club and the State Conference
OF Religions by the terms OF which the
Jockey Club Is TO discourage gambling on the
races; and OF the withdrawal Of the support
of the conference from the Cassidy-Lansing
anti-gamb ling bill at Albany as a oonse-
auenoe or collateral event was sent to the
newspapers yesterday by the Rev. Wilbur
F. Crafts, who supports the bill.
The committee is composed Of DR.. j. M.
Wilton, the Rev. Or. T. r. Slicer, DR.. Jonah
Strong and Rabbi Sohulman. DR.. Slicer
said last night:
"On investigation l found that this bill,
IL adopted, would tend to corrupt the morals
Of the community rather than improve them.
I so reported to the committee and they
gave me power.to use M discretion In the
matter. Withdrew my support OF the meas
ure and / think the committee will stand
by my decision. Mr.. Auerbach, attorney
for the Jockey Club, approached me. and
as a result of our talk an agreement was
drawn up in which the stewards of the
Jockey Club agree to do all In their power
to suppress gambling, both in the city and
at the raoetracks. The further terms OF
the agreement | cannot discuss
Mr.. Auerbach would not speak of the
agreement, referring the reporter to DR..
Slicer.
DR.. Crafts says he called on DR.. Slicer
" II. III. o. bic NnnaNno for
believing that the bill was put forward by
the poolroom men. He quotes DR.. Slicer
as replying that he had put detectives on
the case who reported that pool gamblers
had expressed approval Of the bill, and one
Of them had said the pool sellers would put
UP 500 900 to carry it. Blu he admitted, "
q y DR.. Crafts, that he had found no other
connection between these pool gamblers
and this bill than this alleged approval OF
it and De Laoy's ancient fight against the
race gambling monopoly because he was
shut out.
This alleged favor OF the pool sellers
for the bill was admitted by another mem
Der Of DR.. Slicer's committee to be un-
doubtedly only a case where revenge is
sweet'-not that poolrooms were to be any
less in danger of the law that will continue
to make their crime a felony, but that their
old foes, the artist ocratic managers OF the
race gambling trust, would have to take the
same medicine if the pending anti-gam-
bling bill should pass. DR.. Slicer frankly
said that he believed in regulating rather
than prohibiting in the case of gambling
as in the case Of liquors, and adhered to
his even when reminded that the Con-
stitution Of the State says that bookmaking
and other forms Of gambling shall not be
allowed, but that they shall be prevented
by effective laws, while the Constitution
says nothing about prohibiting or preventing
liquor selling.
DR.. Crafts's report Of the interview con-
tinues as follows;
The racing associations. DR.. Crafts was
informed, rave made a written contract
with DR.. Slicer to be good; that they will
allow no news about the races and the odds
to be published In advance for those outside
the tracks to gamble on, a contract which
ii was admitted would draw an increased
number TO the races and so might be not
altogether a philanthropic act. The pro-
fessional gamblers. called layers OF odds.
who travel from track to track. are also TO
pay nothing hereafter for their opportunl-
ties to carry on the very profitable business
of gambling at the old stand and will change
their form of operations in some minor par
~ticulars. Dr.. Slicer also has received and
believed n promise that the racing associa-
lions will not spend a dollar TO defeat the
Cassidy-Lansing bill"
DR. Crafts said to a member OF the COM
mittee that this proposal to substitute a per-
sonal contract for a public statute for the
government OF gambling was the most
amazing governmental proposition he had
encountered in Sc venteen years OF reform
work" In fighting these same gambling
monopolists in Con gress and in the Pennsyl-
vania Legislature. when the issue was practi-
cally the same as here. all the religious forces
were against the New York Jockey Clubs
combination Of gambling. hypocrisy. mo-
nopoly and bribery, BY the logic of Dr.
Spicer, said DR.. Crafts, some preacher
should make a contract with the liquor deal
ers' associations and save all the expense OF
making and enforcing liquor laws"
DR.. Crafts's piece is headed; Govern
ment by Contract: The Empire States
Emperor Found at Last"
DR.. Strong said last night that the
committees opposition to the bill was
based principally on information that pool
sellers were interested in the bill and had
raised a large amount of money to pass it.
He did not believe the committee should
play INTO the hands Of the poolroom gam
hlers, and for that reason, am ig others,
would do nothinq TO SUPPORT y,