The Washington herald., 1908-05-12
BETTING ATBENNING
Is MADE UNLAWFUL
Anti-gambling Measure Now
Ready for Signature.
WILL SHORTLY BECOME LAW
House Without Debate and without
Any Visible Opposition Agrees to
Senate Amendments to BenninC
Road BilI-WiH ERectuaIIy stop
Race Track Betting in District.

Congress has voted to suppress race
track gambling in the District Of Colum.
bla- Future meetings Of the Washington
Jockey Club, if any be held at Benning
viii not be marred by an orgy Of public
gambling.
New York bookmakers, who have beer
semi-annually reaping a rich harvest al
the Capital, will dare not attempt to ply
their calling in the District hereafter, foi
the police authorities. heretofore. power
less viii be amply equipped to deal with
the malefactors.
This result is directly due to the agta.
ton started by The Washington Herald
in which the best interests Of the city
heartily Joined, and which found the de-
sired response in Congress
Needs Only Presidents Signature.
That Mr. Roosevelt will sign the bill
Which has passed both Houses of Con
gress, there is not the least question.
Although the bin as amended by the
Senate has rested on the Speakers
table in the House for many weeks. there
has never Been any fear in the minds Of
Chairman Smith and other members OF
the House District Committee that if
would be put through ultimately.
The greatest difficulty heretofore to the
passage Of District legislation has been
the reluctance of the House leaders to
use one hour or more in the passage OF
a District bill. unless it was of press
ing need. But when on Saturday Mi
nority Leader John Sharp Williams pro-
claimed that the Democrats would not
interfere with the passage of six good
District bills by demanding yeas and
nays the way seemed clear for the bring
ing up Of the Benning bill.
Was Ready Saturday.
Chairman Smith was in fact ready to
call the bill UP late Saturday. but was not
given an opportunity Yesterday morn
Ing, however. shortly after the House
convened. the bin as amended by the
Senate was called up, and Mr.. Smith
asked that's the House agree TO these
amendments.
Although Representative Thetus VIII
rette Sims, of Tennessee, who got the
original anti-gambling bill, or amendment.
through the House weeks ago, demanded
a second. this was only for the purpose
Of permitting any members who so de-
sired to speak upon the measure.
Forty minutes We're allowed to Mr..
Smith and forty minutes to Mr.. Sims.
under the rules Of the House Neither
member consumed anything Ike that
amount Of time. and John Sharp VIII
liams did not demand the yeas and nays
so that the bill was agreed 10 in a few
minutes.
The provision in the bill which VIII ef-
fectually prevent the operations of book
makers at Benning reads as follows: 1T
shall be unlawful for any person or as
sociatiOn Of persons 10 bet, gamble. or
make books or pools on the result Of any
tTotting or running race of horses, or
boat race. or race Of any kind, or on any
game of baseball. Any person or asso-
citation of persons violating the provisions
OF this section shall be fined not exceed
ing $500. or imprisoned not more than
ninety days, or both"
Began Months Ago.
The campaign for the puri1cation of the
Benning track was begun by The Wash
ington Herald several months ago. and
was approved by many prominent busi-
ness men, Several weeks since, during
consideration of a bill TO widen Benning
road, Representative Sims, by some ex-
cellent parliamentary work, succeeded in
attaching 10 this bill his anti-gambling
amendment. This amendment provided
that the "mile-limit" provision of the Dis
trict code. applicable to bookmaking, be
out. and that instead the anti
gambling law be enforced throughout the
whole territory.
The House voted for this bill in force,
and when it was taken over to the Senate
there was no opposition to the spirit Of
the intended law, but some criticism of
the language of the anti-gambling pro-
vision,
At the suggestion of Senator Carter. Of
Montana, the Sims provision was stricken
out, and the one given above, which is
Of course, effectual, was inserted. The
bill as amended passed the Senate With
out opposition, although there has always
Deen mucu talk ABOUT the capitol con-
the pressure which was being
brought to bear to have it killed.
When returned to the House for con-
currence I'm, or rejection of the Senate
the bill was placed upon the
Speakers table, subject TO the call OF
the chairman or some other member Of
the District Committee. This call waa
given yesterday, and now It is up tok
President Roosevelt TO make the bill
law.