Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-03-11
RACE TRACK GAMBLING
! IS BITTERLY ATTACKED
ss., --
Ministers and LayTRen In New York
l State Lead a Campaign
| Against The Folly.
STATE TAX IS BLOOD MONEY!
The PIunder of LesalIzes Robbery"
Another Term Applied to the Law
That Sanctions Betting on Tracks
in tile Empire state-Monte Carlo
rlut in it With "Rookies."
Especial 10 lie Daily Press. !

ALbAN Narch lu.-OpponentS Of
The Percy-Gray law, under which ber-
ting at racetracks is permitted, at a
hearing recently before the Joint
Codes Committee OH the Cassidy-Lan-
sing Dill 10 wipe Out gambling. charnc-
teflZea that law as n contract between
the state and the gamblers by which
New York accepted ''bloodmoney-
the Dlnnder of legalzed robbery"
monster delegation of church so.
cieties attended the hearing 10 advo-
cate the Cassidy measure. No oppon-
enis 10 that bin appeared. hut a hear.
ing will be held next Wednesday. ut
which Joseph S. Auerbach, represent
ing the various racing associations
and some prominent owners, will pre-
sent the views of those opposed To the
measure.
kilograms from the "sookies"
The only opposition today was a
shower of kilograms from county fair
organizations. Which descended on
various legislators, heseechng them
not TO vote for the Cassidy bill. The
agricultural societies now receive >
per cent of The gate receipts-thc
"hlood-money" 10 which many of the
speakers referred Under the terms
Tor Coggeshall the per cent is in.
creased TO 8 per cent
Rev. a. S. Gregg acted as master of
ceremonies for the advocates of the
bill. The first speaker was Anthony
Comstock. who declared that the Per-
cy-Gray law was only a legalized vlo-
lation of the constitution He declar-
ed that gambling was the worst form
of ordinary immortality.
Public Morals Sacrificed.
THE public morals are sacrificed"
he declared, '!that the gamblers may
have 95 per cent of The proceeds OF
thefts. defalcatlons and frauds, while
the state gets misery s per cent Of
blood money"
lie read newspaper clippings and
related instances in his own know.
ledge where wives and children had
starved while the husbands and faith
ers had gambIcd away their wages.
II never knew those who are so
sollcitous about the breed of horses
10 care much about the breed of chill
dren," said he
lie urged that the state, MS an affair
Of economy, appropriate the 100000
which the agricultural societies now
receive. saying that the expenses of
courts and prisons would he dmin-
ished by more than that amount if the
gambling were prohibited.
Senator Cassidy declared that the
intent and letter of the constitution
were violated by the Percy-Gray law.
He told Of The constitutional conven.
iion, and read an impassiuned speech
delivered then by Edward I.n,terbach,
denouncing gambling and gamblers.
Constitution Of No Use.
THE next year the Percy.Gray bin
was adopted" said lie. I'VE might
just as well toss the constitution out
Of the window, important as n rope of
sand TO check The sen. If we are moi
70 be hound by The organic law of The
state"
Rev w f. Crafts. of the lnterna.
tional Reform Bureau. said The reason
The opponents OF the Cassidy hill had
not appeared was that no one could
argue for gambling or rum There
was more gambling at Saratoga in
twenty days, he said, than at Monte
Carlo in a year. The gambling bills
and gambling industry at present re-
presented the vilest form of immorali-
~, hypocrisy and anabsolute monopo-
~. They were stirring mp their vic
inns 10 land of anarchy against the
laws. which would permit victims to
be robbed