New-York tribune., 1908-03-05

his Iank form stretched itself before the COM
n1ittee and his lean forefnger began to empha-
size his words He began by impressing on
the legislators that they ought 10 be subject 10
no influence in determining the fate of the bills
He said:
As a citizen | resent the impUtation that by
some subterranean and dishonOrable route some
influence will be brought to bear ON you 70
produce a dshonorable conclusion My oeleI
is that no tribunal in this country IS actuateu
| cannot sit complacent under the imputation
that the farming communities can be cOntroited
for 5 per cent of the gate receipts OF racing;
They controlled by sense or harness. vi
justice not always by emotion either
Legislators should not be carried off their Ieet
by appeals to passion and prejudice What klnd
Of laws would result? Results should be pro-
duced by heads and consciences- not by ruSh
Of blood to the face A rush OF blood To thf
question: II is a practical question Your law
yers clergy and men of every walk IN life Wculd
divide on IT. Some speakers TO-DAY aIIrt ma ina
they want this law chiefly to prevent them from
betting Your duties must be exercised with
the best light you have uninfiuencecsoy any IN
ffuence. high low. No desire TO return 10 your
legislative duties should sway you. III because
of sentiment in your districts you SHIFT your
own views and trim your sails. you are not nj
TO come here at all.
Then the speaker to point out that
the Legislature not obeytng the mandate Oh
the constitution by legislating against racetraCK
gambling and ignoring other forms any NOR
than it chose any other one vice and left OUT
the others He described the Yale bills. pro
hibiting gambling of all forms at all places
Women betting gloves candy, boys betting on
their college or school teams. were just as much
criminals as the gambler horserace, he ar
gued.
This legislation is too drastic. too severe. it
is Uic<eder than the offences you undertake to
nrevent" Mr. Black added. Conditions. he said
verrad on hysteria He continued
Isn't IL bout time everybody called halt and
looked over his own hand? Your law must cover
all gambling or ITS humbug and a fraud
We've got plenty of humbugs now; some making
hills You might great deal better go out and
earn living honest men than come oack
here frauds.
If the desire TO bet had been wrong. God never
vouId have nut il into the breast of man. You
can't stamp out betting by legislation you can
tear il of humanity IL Is far oetter 10
guide il and regulate 1t
In closing Mr. Black read letters from Mr.
Slicer and Bishop Potter advocating regulation
Of betting rather than futile attempts to
abolish it.
Senator Agnew declared that two bishops had
come out in favor of his biIls-the bishops Of
Central New York and Long Island-whereupon
Mr. Black said that the penalty for gambling.
then should have been made two years instead
of one.
Despite the great enthusiasm and the tre-
mendous amount of hard work being done
against the Agnew-Hart bills. a shift in senti-
ment is beginning TO be seen in spots II seems
rather certain that the Senate committee
will report them and that they will pass that
house. Every effort is being made TO defeat
them In the Assembly. but Hughes men proph-
esed tonight that the committee there would
be discharged and the bills passed.