New-York tribune., 1908-04-20

fines in these fifteen cases amounted in total 10
$3.50. That is what the felony provisions OF the
! Penal Code amounted to in New York County in
! 1907. 1t appears that in the same year tnere
were five convictions under indictment for
maintaining a gaming house. In one case there
was imprisonment. but it was in penitentiary,
and not for felony. in a state prison one
case apparently disposed OF without eitneF
fine or imprisonment, and in the remaining
500! ''~s4 ''''
Now. il is notorious that on conviction under
the present law in of poolrooms the punish
ment is generally fine, and not heavy hne at
that. Because OF the alternative or hne the
punishment by imprisonment in state prison is
rarely if ever inflicted The iniQuitous discrim-
nation in favor of racetrack gambling makes 1t
difficult To convictions and suitable pun
ishment in the case OF poolrooms- because
fines are now allowed to the extent OF S2OOo II
does not follow that they are imposed. And the
practice Of fning practically amounts to
license system, whereby the offender pays Ger
tain amount and continues his unaWfni canng
until further prosecution may require 1ur'her
penalty.
PRISON SENTENCES NEEDED.
II we are to deal adequately with poolrooms
or with racetrack gambling the penalty should
not be fine. but imprisonment; and in providing
impa rtialy for imprisonment and excluding hnes
we not making the law less effective as 10
poolrooms, but rescuing il from inenectiyeness
The distinction between a felony and mis-
demeanOr is that the former is punlshabe bN
Imprisonment in a state prison. whereas lmprls-
onment in the case Of a misdemeanOr Is in n
county iai or penitentiary But il is the fact OF
nnrtant in this matter. And the wise DISPOSE
ton OF the question has seemed to be to provide
for punishment by imprisonment instead or
fines and vet not to make the penalty so severe
that the guilty for this reason may escape rms
can be accomplished by making the penaItY
misdemeanor punished by imprisonment not eN-
ceeding one year
Nor will the people be confused by talk about
marty organization. | am party man ana IN
favor of party organization. And l stand for
the honor of both and against their shameless
betrayal.
whelming vote In the Senate they missed OF
passage by only one vote. The eHort 10 man
tain special privileges for racetrack gambling
has been defeated in many states; ana II re-
mains for the State Of New YORK 10 require
obedience to the mandate Of her constitution.
The issue has been made, The peop!e are
alive to its fundamental importance. The Sent-
Inent Of the state is unmistakable. In every
mart of the state the people voicing and Will
continue to voice their protest. Let no one sup
pose that the issue can be ignored II VIII re-
main a live issue until the constitution pre-
walls.
There was long applause after the Governor
had finished king. He left after the Rev
DR. John F. Carson. pastor OF the Central Pres
byterian Church, had offered a resolution call
ing upon the Legislature TO pass the Agnew-
Hart bill and indorsng the Governor for his
stand as we'll as the legislators who had stood
with him. The resolution WAS adopted by
standing vote. When Governor Hughes reached
the main hall of the branch he stood on the
crowd that waiting there TO greet him.
HUGHES PARTY's SAVIOR
He was followed the platform by the Rev.
DR.. S. Parkes Cadman pastor Of the Central
Congregational Church who recently declined an
invitation to become president OF Wesleyan Uni
versity. The people OF all parties had been
waiting for a real man to appear he said and
one mad just spoken.
Tl1a rtr has he md
hold it responsible to pass this legislation" lie
continued. Several times the party has been
on the verge of defeat and has been saved by
a great personality II was so when Roosevelt
ran and 50 when Hughes was nominated You
can't convince gullble cleric that the leaders
wanted him They had to take him. He ripped
the cover off. Barnes OF Albany, whoever he is,
says that he has for Hughes. No won
der. That kind Of man never will
The Legislature has got to support the Gov
ernor," he cried. cor We'll know the reason Why"
He then mentioned Senator Gchrist and the
audience hissed. The Democrats We're crushed
in New Jersey he went on, for supporting
racing and I hope that the Republican party
here will see the handwritingg on the wall"
He declared that somebody was getting money
from the gambling and that he had a shrewd
suspicion who it was.
1--WE propose to carry out this legislation to
the end" he continued. THE Governor can't be
defeated by the little worms that crawl about
his feet. Il has been said that Roosevelt didn't
attack the Percy-Ciray law. He attacked
enough TO make them mighty glad TO get rid Of
him. Why should set aside the constitution
TO please Belmont? What would he say If the
workingmen set aside the constitutional pro-
visions that protect his property rights?"
His words We're enthusiastically received IS
were those Of the next speaker the Rev DR.
\. McGee Waters. pastor Of the Tompkins Ave
nue. Congregational Church.
Another anti-racing gambling mass meeting
was held in the evening at the Aurora Grata
Cathedral. The speakers were the Rev. Dr
Madison c. Peters, Darwin r. James jr presi-
dent OF the Young Republican Club and ex-
State Senator George Brush. Several other
mass meetings under religious, though nom
sectarian auspices, will be held within tbA
next few weeks. Senator Gilchrlst has been in
Nited to attend one AT Somers Hall kockawav
avenue and SoTners street East New York this |
evening. on the first Sunday in Nav An I'm. |
churches III Brooklyn purpose 10 hold sntf |
gambling mass meetings instead Of their r-,,, |
lar evening services