The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-11
Saturday, April II, 1908.
A CURIOUS SITUATION.

tthbotS A'lbN.
 The state of New York never tires of contributing to the gaiety of poli- tics. If 1t is not the city of New York that occupies the center of the stage in municipal election which bafIles the understanding of those of us who live elsewhere, 1t is the state itself. Just at present 1t Is the state. The contestants are the advocates of race track gambling and Governor Hughes. Tho galleries are packed with interested spectators, with and without convictions on.t the subject un- der treatment The hum of their voices Is heard above the roar of the senate chamber and above the quiet but resolute tones which the governor has adopted to the more thoroughly impress his views upon the public.
 The cause of the ruction betw cen the senate of the state of New York and Governor Hughes is a conflicting interpretation of public duty. As the case has been presented to the public by the governors enemies, 1t is dis pute over the admission into pra ,tce of tendency innate in the human n n r1fIu tha iAt. ,f i,,,r in chances; what is better known as gambling on the race track. At the hearings held at the Albany capitol on the bills forbidding gambling at the race tracks in the state of New York, the philosophy of this human tendency received extensive consider ation. The committee was told that should the state of New. York foroid gambling would be transferred to rooms of conceallnent: that the JOG: rooms would multiply and get wholly z beyond the control of the police The point was made with all of the im- pressiveness slick advocates were cap able of that the prohibition of race track gambling, while moral on the face of 1t, would turn out to be the most immoral transaction imaginable, in that instead of suppressing an evil it would encourage and develop 1t in it's most vicious form. Attempts to make men and women gamblers through legislation could not 5uc- ceed because human nature must he raised above itself by entirely differ ent processes. Finally it was said that if the proposed bills were made into law an immense amount of prop erty, which has been made into race tracks in good faith, would be des- troyed hundreds would be thrown out of employment and the trade of breeding high grade horses would cease so far as the state of New York Is concerned.
 These are among the more striking Objections to the enactment of anti gambling laws There Is, too, unques- tionably lot of sorry truth in them. An immense amount of money has been invested in race tracks, in horse breeding and in attendant labor, but as Governor Hughes interprets his official duty as outlined by his oath of office that has nothing to do with the proposition Says he: Tt is not a question for the legislature whether this vice should he permitted or reg ulated. Under the constitution the legislature has no right to permit it or to regulate it. The people, have spoken upon the question. You are asked to make existing prohibition ef- fective. The demoralzing influences and the welfare of the state which are involved in the continuance of this evil are obvious Still more import. ant is the necessity of vindicating the Fundamental law of the land and ol { demonstrating that this is state where law and order prevail an6 where no interest Is powerful enough to keep on tho statute books deceitfu provisions, whereby prohibition be. comes profitable license and favored class of law breakers are afforded aub. stantia immunity" In other wordt Governor Hughes declines to discuss the various phases of the business oi horse racing and deliberately disrc. gards the probable truth of the losses which would have to be borne bS those engaged in It. if 1t was forbid den. He keeps his eyes fixed on tho constitution of the state which tho people in their majesty have passed upon and approved, If ho should