The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-10
ANTl.CA|MBLlNC
FIGHT RENEWED
4 i ~
GOVERNOR HUGHES SENDS sPE.
clAL MESSAGE.
PLANS EXTRA SESSION

Will Call Special Election to Name
Senator to Fill Vacancy Urges
New York Legislators to Pass Eiah,
Measures egisIstors Angry.
Albany, N. Y, April 9.-Following
the failure Of the senate last night to
pass the anti-race track gambling bills,
Governor Hughes today sent to the
legislature 9 message renewing his
recommendation for enactment Of this
legislation and asked for the enact.
ment Of eight other propositions now
pending before the legislature.
Governor Hughes probably will call
an extra session Of the legislature for
May IL. It also is expected that a
special election will be ordered for
the choice Of a successor to Senator
Fanchot. republican, Of Niagra, Ont,
district, who died recently.
. ~ his message today the governors
recommendations included:
The passage Of appropriate legisla-
ton to prevent the present so-called
discrimination Of the Percy-Gra law.
which practically legalized gambling
on race tracks.
Legislation to reform banking meth.
DDS.
Direct primary nominating cleo.
tions.
Legislation which will place tele.
phone and telegraph companies un-
der the jurisdiction of the public SER
vice commission.
The passage Of bills which will IA.
cilitate the construction OF subways
in New York City.
The governor also urges investigar
tion by commission: First, Wall
street speculation; second, the ques-
ton OF immigration; third, the ques-
tton OF unemployed in this state the
fourth, the relation OF the interior
courts to certain criminal procedure.
Gambling Recommendation.
Relative to the HartAgnew bills,
the governor in his message says: ,
7 again urge you to enact appropri-
ate legislation to abolish the existing
discriminations in favor Of race track
gambling. s,r
'The failure Of the upper branch Of
your honorable body to pass the
measures designed to effect this pur-
pose after their passage in the lower
branch cannot be regarded as lispos-
ing Of the matter. The constitution.
its peremptory mandate still stands.
sThe evil Of race track gambling
tlourishes not In spite Of the law but
because Of the law. Legislation pre-.
tending to carry out the constitutional
provision in effect nullifies it,. You
are, not asked to, accomplish the i'm
possible or to write upon the statute
books visionary scheme sof moral
reform. You are asked to rid our Law
OF vicious discrimination whereby
offenses equally condemned by the
constitution are punished as crimes IL
committed in one place and are en-
couraged by the absence Of suitable
penalty II committed In another.
Law ls a Mockery.
Chapter $40 Of the laws of 1895
known as the Percy Gray law pre-
tends in its provisions with regard to
authorized race tracks to prohibit
gambling. This pretense runs through
the act. But it cheats the prohibition
by providing that the only penalty. IL
no memorandum or token Of the wag-
ers be delivered, shall be liable to u
civil suit for the money lost. Ii ever
1t was supposed that this was.sansap-
propriate law to prevent the offenses
mentioned no one now cherishes the
illusion.
It Is a mockery Of prohibition and
pool selling and bookmaking flourish
at the race track as though they were
legally authorized. Not only is this
the result, but the enforcement of the
law elsewhere is embarrassed by
these undemocratic discriminations. It
is not q question for the legislature,
whether this vice should be permitted
or regulated. The people have spok-
en- upon that question. You are asked
to make existing prohibitions effect
i've. Instead Of virtually protecting
pool selling and bookmaking, upon.
the race tracks instead OF favoring
them and subjecting them to an ade-
quate penalty-the law can and
should effectively prohibit them by
imposing penalties similar to those
which are visited upon identical Of
\ fenses elsewhere.
Urges Legislators to DO Duty.
The demoralizing influences and
the menace to the welfare Of the state
I which are involved IN the continuance
OF this evil. are obvious. Still more
important is the necessity Of vindicat-