New-York tribune., 1908-04-20
HUGHES DOOMS BETTING
NO PARTY ISSUE, HE SlTS.
Big audience Cheers Governor 1r-
raignment of Gamblers.

the fight on racetrack gambling cannot by any
| stretch of the imagination be regarded as
| party issue, and that al attempts to make u
political question come from persons interested
| in the continuation Of betting. The issue. he
said vas clean cut between those who favored
the enforcement Of Law and those who OPP
posed it,
In reply to recent argument by some that
the new bills provided a penalty for racetrack
gambling that was drastic, and by others
that they reduced the penalty from felony - a
misdemeanor, Governor Hughes said that i'm
prisonment was the only effective remedy. and
It mattered not whether confinement bN I'm =
state prison, Jail or pentantiary- In proof "
this ho quoted from criminal prosecutions in
New York County. which show that Of the
twenty-One convictions under Indictment for
bookmaking in 1907 not one person was sent 20
prison.
The Governor vas received With great en-
thusiasm by the church people of Brooklyn p
ant-sambling mass meeting in the Bedford
branch of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion. Bedford avenue and Monroe street. in the
afternoon The auditorium. seating one thou
sand persons and affording standing room To 4
couple of hundred more, packed 20 the
doors before O'Clock. and the Governor vas
not due till T. Besides hundred ministers and
prominent Brooklynites. vice-presideuts Of the
meeting, the platform. Fully as many
branch stood about its doors.
Upon the Governors entrance the audience
rose and cheered and the musicians struck up
The Star Spangled Banner" Chairman L. r.
Lyons introduced the Governor, by saying:
"The object of this meeting is to impress
upon some of our representatives in the Legis-
lature the necessity of their changing their
views regarding racetrack gambling. If they
don't. then We'll see to it that change the
men."
AUDIENCE RISES AND CHEERS.
AS Governor Hughes made his way 10 the
front of the platform the audience again arose
and cheered. He began by saying there were
persons who charged him with usurpatiou be-
cause of his talks with the people regarding the
gambling question. L Will never support a
measure" he cried. that I cannot discuss
openly with the people,"
The people who oppose the Agnew- Hart bill.
! he continued have their political creed the
! determination to fool the people and they for
get that the masses OF the people are honest and
that they want wholesome laws impartially al
ministered- These people said the Governor.
those who gamble in politics must eventually
encounter" The real issue cannot be hidden
under attacks upon the executive The ques-
tion is whether the people are To run this state
or the gamblers with their political allies.
I why should the racetrack gamblers be a
| state is dominated by unrighteous wealth.
] When he told how the Percy-Cray law had
| been passed the year after the constitution was
adopted. and that it practically licensed gam
| bling. the audience hissed the memory of the
| legislators who had failed to keep their oaths
| and support the constitution. He described the
| rscetrack legislation and called the Percy Gray
law and the section of the Penal Code which
permits gambling at the tracks as twin sisters
of devilish ingenuity Kisses were even aimed
at the Court Of Appeals for upholding the Law.
GOVERNOR SEES VICTORY.
What the people thought that they had dons
| In 1901 he said. will really be done in 1905.
The issue has been made and cannot be brushed
aside The Governor spoke as follows.
Political manipUlators and representatives of
speclal interests who try To pervert the govern
meht 10 seinsh purposes hold the people in con-
tempt. Inelr political creed IS that the people
are 10 be fooled and that the victory Is 10 The
INSCRIPTIONS They take little account oI his-
toIE anu OF tle long reaches Of progress that
humanity has made. despite deSporic power
despite the schemes Of cunning ana abuse of
popular rights In this favored land they con-
Stdntly forget the wholesome sentiment of tb..
masses Of the people who seek no selfish profit
from the administration of government bur de-
sire only the fair opportunities which are 4f-
forded in peaceful society protected by lust
laws impartially executed.
The issue before the people cannot ba oh
scured, II cannot be hidden under deuuuCia-
lions Of the Executive. IL is the plain question
Slat@ or "hetner II ls controlled by gamblers
and their political allies I an glad of the test
now offered. for the people viii NOT permit their
VIII u De iened and their constitution to he
tricked- Opposition and temporary dcf.at v,iI
serve only 10 heighten their interest and in
crease the intensity Of their demand. Represents
atiVc goSvarnmelt is on trial and viii be VIM
diCated. And the longer the controversy con
tinues the more far reaching will b.. it's cons--
qucuccs and the clearer recognition of one ,brSs
is sure 10 bring others into stronger light
WHY FAVOR GAMBLERS
Why should racetrack gamblers h., a favored
because they can provide better plan tor the
regulation Of morals than that adopted I,- tha
people IN the constitution or is IL that by tile
coailtl"n OF INSCRIPTIONS torres and the tre-
mcndous power of unriEhteous wealth they are
able 10 dominate this state?
We cannot repeat too often the explicit man
date Of the constitution. Nor shall 4r Iottlr,.
or the sale ot lottery tickets. pool~elling book
! making any other kind of gambling here after
be authorized allowed within this state and
the Legislature shall pass appropriate laws to
prevent offences against any OF the provisions OF
| this section"
The in the street can understand that
| II brushes away all cobWebs OF Sophistvy You
cannot dodge it, You cannot explain ia away.
I There il standS-the viii Of the people. shall il
I hc oheyed? Why did the constitutional cunven-
| tion reconn'end this provision, and why did the
people adopt it, Were they i'm ignorance as to
the evil at which they struck ON the con
/ trary. with fuU knowledge and deliberate intent
they adopted this provision 10 rid Of the evil
| which nevertheless still fouriShes There never
WAS palmer case of the viii Of the people being
/ fOuted.
What was the situation when this constitu-
| tional provision was adopted i'm 1921 The Leg
| iSlature in lSSI had passed an act, known as
/ the Ives law. hNlnS the period during which
| races might he conducted by racing associations
| II then provided that the sections OF the Penal
| code which related 70 poolSelling and bookmak-
| ing associations during the prescribed period
| allowed for racing In short. il licensed race