New-York tribune., 1908-04-20
HUGHES DOOMS BETTING
NO PARTY ISSUE, HE S4TS.
Big audience Cheers Governors dr-
raignment of Gamblers.

the fight racetrack gambling cannot by any
stretch of the ina agination be regarded as
party issue and that all attempts TO make n Z
political question come from persons interested
in the continuation Of betting. The issue. "a
said vas clean cut between those who favored
the enforcement of law and those who OPP
posed it.
In reply to a recent argument by some that
the new bills provided a penalty for racetrack
gambling that was too drastic, and by others
that they reduced the penalty from felony 10 a
misdemeanor. Governor Hughes said that i'm
prisonment was the only effective remedy, and
II mattered not whether confinement be i'm Z
state prison. Jail penitautiary. In proof -
this ho quoted from criminal prosecutions in
New York County. which show that Of the
twenty-one convictions under indictment for
bookma king in 1907 not one person was sent To
prison.
The Governor was received With great en-
thusasm by the church people of Brooklyn et
anti-gambling mass meeting in the Bedford
branch of the Young Mems Christian AssocIa-
tinn. Bedford avenue and Monroe street in the
afternoon The auditorium, seating one thou
sand persons and affOrding standing room to 4
couple of hundred more, packed 20 the
doors before > O'Clock. and the Governor vas
not due till + Besides hundred ministers and
prominent Brooklynites. vice-presideuts of the
meeting, were the platform. Fully as many
persons got in We're jammed in the han Of he
branch stood about its doors.
Upon the Governors entrance the audience
rose and cheered and the musicians struck up
The Star Spangled Banner" Chairman l. p.
Lyons introduced the Governor. by saying:
"The object of this meeting is to impress
upon some of our representatives in the Legis-
lature the necessity of their changing their
views regarding racetraCk gambling. II they
don't then we'u to it that We change the
men!"
AUDIENCE RISES AND CHEERS.
AS Governor Hughes made his way 70 the
front of the platform the audience again arose
and Cheered. He began by saying there were
persons who charged him with usurpation be-
cause of his talks with the people regarding the
gambling question. Il will never support a
measure" he cried. that 1 cannot discuss
openly with the people,
The people who oppose the Agnew-Hart bill.
he continued have their political creed the
determination to fool the people. and they for
get that the masses of the people are honest and
that they want wholesome laws impartialy ad-
ministered- These people said the Governor.
those who gamble in politics must eventually
encounter" The real issue cannot be hidden
under attacks upon the executive. The ques-
| tion is whether the people are to run this state
or the gamblers with their political allies.
I why should the racetrack gamblers be
favored class?" he asked. rs it because this
state is dominated by unrighteous w5alth?"
When he told how the Percy-Cray law had
| been passed the year after the constitution was
adopted. and that it practically licensed gam
bling. the audience hissed the memory of the
legislators who had failed TO keep their oaths
and support the constitution. He described the
| racetrack legislation and called the Percy-Gray
law and the section of the Penal Code which
permits gambling at the tracks as twin sisters
of devilish ingenuity" Kisses were even aimed
at the Court Of Appeals for upholding the la ~
GOVERNOR SEES VICTORY.
What the people thought that they had dons
In 1904 he said. will really be done in 19OS
The issue has been made and cannot be brushed
aside. The Governor spoke as follows:
Political manipulators and representatives, of
speclal interests who try L. pervert the govern
ment 10 selfish purposes hold the people in CON
tempt Their political creed is that the people
are 10 be fooled and that the victory is to The
INSCRIPTIONS They take little account OF nus
tory and of the long reaches of progress thst
humanity has made, despite deSpotIc power
despite the schemes of cunning ana ,Fi,ss -
popular rights In this favored land they con-
stantly forget the wholesome sentiment Of tEe
masses OF the people who seek no selfish profit
from the administration of government. hut de
sire only the fair opportunities which af-
Iorded IN peaceful society protected by Just
laws tmpartially executed.
The issue now before the people cannot he o5-
scured. 1t cannot be hidden under de.uncia-
uons of the Executive. IL is the plain question
whether the people run the government of this
state or whether il Is controlled by gamblers
and their political allies I am glad of the test
now offered. for the people will not permit thsir
will L. be deficd and their constitution to Ss
rtcked. Opposition and temporary defeat niU
serve only 10 heighten their interest and in
crease the intensity Of their demand. Represents
attVc goSV2rnmolt i on trial and viii be vfn-
dicated. Aud the longer the controversy con
tnues the more far reaching will be- its conS--
qucnccs and the clearer recognition Of one abuse
Il sure To bring others into a stronger light.
WHY FAVOR GAMBLERS
Why should racetrack gamblers be- a favored
class Is II because of just argument? l. IL
because they can provide better plan for the
reguiatioh ot morals than that adopted by the
people In the constitution: or is il that by the
coalition of INSCRIPTIONS forces and the ire
mendous power Of unrighteuus wealth they are
able 10 dominate this state
We cannot repeat too often the explicit man
date of the constitution: Nor shall any lottery
or the sale Of lottery tickets. pcclSelIing book
making or any other kind 1T gambling hereafter
he authorized allowed within this state. and
the Legislature shall pass appropriate laws to
prevent offences against any Uf the provisions OF
this section
The man in the street can understand that
1t brushes away all cObwebS of Sophistry You
cannot dodge it, You cannot explain II av-a>-
There il standS-the will Of the Dpnpe Shall II
Ire obeyedr Why did the constitutional conver,-
tion recommend this provision. and Why did the
people adopt it, Were they i'm Ignorance as 70
the evil at which they struCk2 ON the con
trary. with full knowledge and deliberate intent
they adopted this provision 10 get rid OF the evil
which nevertheless StiU hOUriSheS There never
palmer case of the viii Of the people being
houted-
What was the situation when this constit,,-
tional provision adopted i'm lS.4c The Leg
| iSlaturp i'm 1887 had passed an act known as
| the Ives law, fixing the period during which
races might he conducted by racing associations
II then provided that the sections OF the Penal
| code which related TO pOOlSelling ard bOoknak-
| ing should not apply 20 the grounds OF the rae
| ing associations during the prescribed period
| allowed for racing. In short. il licensed race