Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-18
CALLS ON CHURCHES
Jerome Wants Aid in Fight on
Race Tracks.
ADDRESS TO CLERGYMEN
Legislators Cowards," Says New
York District Attorney.
MINISTERS TO THE FRONT
Religious Sentiment Of Empire State
to Support Anti-Race Betting
Bills at Albany.

NEW YORK. January 1S-District Attor-
ney Jerome told committee Of clergymen
representing the National Federation Of
Churches and Christian Workers that as q
rule legislators were pack Of towards.
Its easy enough to drive them IL you only
go about 1t right" said he. -
The district attorney proposes to enlist
the services of the churches Of this state to
round the legislators up in favor of the
three bills which he has had introduced In
the legislature at Albany for the avowed
purpose of putting the pool rooms out of
business and preventing betting at the race
tracks. after he had addressed the clerical
committee at the Bible House yesterday
afternoon they voted to indorse Mr.. Je-
rome's three bills and organize movement
to obtain the backing Of the churches Of the
state to drive the legislators" the right
way
The ministers who heard Mr.. Jerome's
talk were Frank Mason North and Andrew
Gillias, Methodists; H. A. Stimson, Congre-
gationalst; G. n. Wenner, Lutheran; Rob-
ert L. Paddock. Episcopalian; Asa Black
burn Presbyterian; Leighton Williams. E.
s. Holloway and F. w. Blakesley, Baptist;
F. B. Sanford, secretary of the Federation
of Churches, and the Rev. w. r. Ackert,
Reformed and J. P. Lichtenberger, Disci-
pies of Christ.
Appeal for Support.
The committee appointed a subcommittee
to prepare an appeal for support for Mr..
Jeromes bills and present it next Monday
at the various ministers meetings held In
this city. Mr. Jerome told them that If
they could get the active backing Of LOCO
churches for his measures he would guar
antee that they would be passed.
The district attorney told the clergymen
that he knew what he was talking about
when he discussed the tracks. He had
given much study to the subject, and be-
sides his uncle had good deal to do with
building the Coney Island Jockey Clubs
track at Sheepshead Bay. He declared that
the Percy-Gray law, under which bookmak-
ing at the tracks is conducted, was framed
to give the tracks immunity and that the
per cent rake off Of racing profits now given
to the agricultural societies of the state
was designed as a sop to prevent agitation
by upstate farmers against the tracks. He
personally believed that without betting the
race tracks would go out Of business.
why" declared the district attorney.
Mr. Belmont himself wouldn't go across
the street to get to q track II there wasn't
betting and neither would anybody else.
day before betting was stopped there was
an attendance there of 25,OO0. Three days
later 1t had dwindled to 300
Betting and the Sport.
1--WE hear good deal about racing being
a gentleman's sport, but the end Of it that
most amuses these gentlemen Is the taking
of the dividends on the stock. If this Is
not so why do we have all this opposition
from these gentlemen whenever we try to
stop the gambling at the tracks? 1t strikes
me that 1t is hardly the deed of gentlemen
to block attempts to repeal the Percy-Gray
law which Is admitted to be notification
of the intent of the state constitution, or
to hire De Lancey Nicoll to go up to AL
bany to fight US whenever we try to stop
race-track gambling. I admit that / can
not see where the gentlemanly part Of 1t
comes in.
1T was the intention to prohibit all gam
bling in this state and the constitution said
so, yet for eleven years our legislators have
sat in their seats at Albany and acted in
direct conflict with their oaths OF office"
The district attorney then said that it was
difficult to get a jury to convict under
gambling law that made a man convicted
under 1t a felon and allowed Judge to SEN
tence hir, to long term of Imprisonment.
He was not surprised at this. After
eighteen years experience with the work
ing of our laws" he said. II can recollect
only one case where a man has been i'm
proved by Imprisonment in a state prison.
The punishment provided should never be
greater than the offense calls for. Juries
feel this too. II the law provided for
ten-day or a thirty-day imprisonment we
would get more convictions and the pool
rooms would close like traps