The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-31
HORSE RAGING.

1t is good fortune to have on our list
of acquaintance, not to say friends several law
yers of the city, and it is sometimes our good for
tune to be present at discussions between members
of the bar on questions which of interest not
only to them and the listeners, but which are of
vital Importance to the people of the state and to
the nation Only this week there was assembled in
the office of one of our prominent ATTORNEYS a
group of four five men when two of the attor-
neys got into discussion of lawlessness in general
and the evasion of laws or the intent of laws by
persons who found it both convenient and profit
able to do These discussions were of course not
intended for the edfication of the public but the
points made and discussed are such as should be
given to the public that the duties of citizenship
may not be CLOSED over with the thin veil of con-
venience as an excuse for violation of the laws
made and provided for the guidance of the people
and the perpetuation of free government.
The race meeting at the fair grounds came up
for discussion, and lawyer maintained that the
race meeting was merely gambling institution run
for the purpose of gambling and for no other rea-
son, and was rightfuy subject that the state au-
thorities should take up and prohibit under the stat
utes which prohibit gambling. Further, this lawyer
maintained that the fair association, in renting the
fair grounds for the purpose of the meet was equal
ly guilty with the promoters of the races in that
they violated the statute which prohibits the rent
ing of buildings and grounds for gambling pur-
poses.
The other attorney in the discussion insisted that
the statutes of the state did not cover betting on
horse races in any way; that no mention of betting
the result of horse races was made in the re-
vised statutes, and that the laws of the state re-
ferred to nothing but games of chance played with
dice, cards other device. In reply to this, the
first disputant argued that though betting on horse
may not be specifically prohibited by the stat
utes of Utah, the general law against gambling was
sufficient to cover the ground and that it would
not require very wide stretching of the statute to
meet the case.
The discussion raises nice point in law With
betting prohibited there would be no horse race
meetings at the fair grounds. At least that is the
assertion of those who play the game. And if bet
ting horse races is not gambling we fail to un-
derstand the meaning of the word. Gambling is
prohibited by statute
While it is the province of the Judge and not the
editor interpret the laws of the state from the
arguments put forward at the meeting and by the
attorneys referred TO- 1T Is our opinion tnat the tlrst
lawyer had the better of the discussion If the case
should before the courts, of course, entirely
different arguments might be brought forward It
would be the judges duty to hand down his opinion
upon the merits of the case as presented to him.
The discussion, however leads us to remark that
# there is one thing than another which should
be given the thought of the people of the state and
nation it is the subject of law observance and law
enforcement. Especially should those who are