New-York tribune., 1908-05-05
5 s,atas in iris bill does not

include Sii offences
am .n receipt Of a letter from the secretary
Of rhe Citizens Association of Chicago. with re-
gard TO procedure for the purpose OF aboishins
racetrack gambling in Cook County. After re-
citing the evils which LED 10 the enforcement OF
Ife law in that county, ne said- In TINS con-
the law in that county. he said;
In this connection il may be said that. in an
stternpt TO aegalize racetrack booknaking, the
racing interests had secured the enactment OF a
statute in this state in 1887, which .rcvided tnat
betting might be carried on within the race
track inclosure for certain number or daNs
each year while racing meeting was actually
in progress" This law had. however. been de
clared unconstitutional by the supreme Court
Of Illinois. but up TO the tine that Mayor Har,
-ison took the stand above mentioned II had
served. although technically dead letter. to ex-
cuse the failure OF public officials 10 put stop
10 booknlakins-
BoOKMAKERS TESTIMONY.
Having the law or their side. the authorities
put stop - bookmaking on the racetrack- In
this connection want TO read from the same
secretary's letter. where he says that one OF the
most beneficial results OF doing away with this
bookmaking at the racetrack was the large de-
crease in the number Of hahitual bettors. To
quote from printed interview with Bud White.
= booktE3ker in Chicago he said The hardest
blow TO the bOohmakers' business in Chicago
ghe closing OF the local racetrack Each
race meeting served 10 produce a new crop or
bettors. Since the closing of the local tracks
The betting spirit and the number of bettors in
Chicago have steadily decreased"
SO much for the constitution in other states
What Is II in New York? In 1887 the so-called
Ives law passed. which provided in effect
and places during the year should be exempt
from the prohibitions OF the Penal Code. II
thus 1egalized racetrack gambling by making the
provisions Of the Penal Code inapplicable at
certain places and during certain season. OF the
year This aroused a great deal OF opposition.
which however. proved ineffective. The Legis-
lature did not repeal the law
The open violation OF the Penal Code was al
lowed at the recetracks but nowhere else in the
state. / said the open violation: / should have
said the open conduct which constituted the VIC
lation elsewhere in the state. Such was the ef-
feet Of the Ives law.
Then the constitution OF 1894 did not adopt
the same general formula They We're noJ shoot
providing for adoption by the people some
sertion Of minor benefit without knowing of
definite evil on the contrary. they had before
them law which took racetrack gambling out
Of the Penal Code. which legalized il under GER
tain conditions The Legislature had not re-
reealed that law They wanted 70 stop that par
ticular evil.
The convention wanted TO stop that particu-
lar evil Every side of the question was dis
cusSed. and many spoke pro and OF the law
At that convention. Let's make it so that no
one can get the better OF us was the watch
word OF the convention. for the members feared
that some trick device would be used.
They were not content with describing gam
bling as poolselling or bookInaklng- Ihey We're
afraid that some ingenious lawyer might invent
some kind of gambling business which could
not be exactly defined or could not be defined In
those terms.
THE CAUSE UNQUESTIONABLE.
So they decided 10 add the words ''or any
make il perfectly plain that what the Ives law
had permitted should thereafter never be al
lowed 70 exist in this state
This was put 10 a vote and adopted al lle
convention by q vote of 100 to + 1t went before
the people and it was there SO adopted by 1heIn- @
] have never heard in this country c~ollstIIu- ~
tion more deliberately framed to prevent a par
1icular kind of device than the constitution We
are dealing with tonight ~ .
yo1, can get any number OF men 70 argue 10
-hei- hearts content. but there is not man IN
7his state that can get no and say that
gambling Is not condemned by the cons
and that Il IS not the duty OF the Legislature ~
put a stop 10 It - -.
Why did the Legislature pass the Percy era 5Cirsg
lawe Was ii in conforming with their duties
&C -epreeentatfves Of the state or was II passed
the bidding Of and written by the gaaoer gan, 9,,7
Of the state? The Law pronlblted oelths' , po-
of0hl0''i0" IF IT Is "0'"'''S ''''s
The Governor then told Of the signs at the
track No betting allowed and said those
notices obeyed the law in declaring that the
remedy was by civil suit He continued:
The gambling law operates everywhere in the
state except the racetrack, and the reason
X does not operate there is because the code
says in every place except where another pen
atty is provided
been sustained by the Court of Appeals If the
court hadn't sustained il the law Wouldn oe
worth anything The Court Of Appeals said that
the Legislature should make the penalty Did
the Court OF Appeals say that the Percy-Gray
LAW vas an adequate law. q sufficient law No.
II didn't say that. II said II was IN the power
Of the Legislature 10 pass that law BY 6lIe
same token they have the power and and are ig uIatr
the penalty TO pass better one; ne L+slSlas
ure is accountable 20 the people Tor u'e pas
sage Of such q law
We arc dealing with something open. Wlth
something that can he stopped It is the duty
~ tho Legislature TO say il shall he stopped
They know il can he stopped
The Governor then spoke of the interest which
the churches of every creed were taking in the
movement The business men. he said. were
ellied and almost all the state was allied IN the
support Of the movement against racetrack
gambling Then ne said:
BETTER THAN ANY OFFICE.
Why. I would rather be before the people in
an effort 70 bring To pass the abolition of an
iniouitv of this sort. and witness the demorStra-
tion OF a desire to maintain honest representa-
tive government than TO hold any othce IN the
gift IF the IsopIe
There are times when we look upon American
life with languor, but it is not time like TINS.
when YOU find all the people aroused 10 lle con-
yiction that they want to see their constitution
enforced What coalition there Is on the
other side, With the exception OF a ieW Wen
meaning and misguided persons. who nope
will understand the matter better a niue ia'er
on what a coalition have opposed 10 Us, II
IS almost worth while TO see the roundup
Everything that Is unscrupuOuS and beneath
houor everything that is deSpiSeG in polltlcs by
whatever party. has been observed III an at
tempt 10 defeat the constitution. There Is n"
psrtv division They are altogether Tor me
gamblers -.
Every one ought 10 be member "l a party:
Parties discuss topics and debate questions. II
The members were only sincere II would ne All
right. Many join parties for what they can get
on, of them Wore going 10 impress II upon
o,,e ,,ear,Ia IN tbis state that they don't dare
deliver Senator. We must have men ei-~1tu -,
t- the p4or,le accountable 20 the people LheN
must be true the platform OF ne parry i'E
should re men and not puppets