Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-09
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC
MEMORIALS

h1SGUST and surprise expressed by
decent members of the senate and
by spectators when the clerk
announced the names of the men Sc
lected by Lieutenant Governor Porter
to take charge of the anti-race track
gambling bill will be shared by the
public. Weed. Leavitt, Kennedy, Saw
age and Wolfe are the members of the
committee. All of them excepting per-
haps Savage are OPPOSED to anti-race
track gambling legislation, and their
morals" shows the Southern Pacific has
arranged the defeat or emasculation of
the most important measure which has
been proposed in recent years.
Porter has acted like a subservient
corporation tool, and not like a respon-
sible official of a great state. He has
not appointed a genuine committee on
morals. With the present constitution
Of the committee it's title becomes a
farce. 1t should be called the commit
tee on immorals. AS this committee
has only five members, instead of from
nine to fifteen, like other committees,
it's membership is easy to arrange, con-
troll adjust and regulate. With only
five members, and all, with one posi-
BILE exception, in thorough harmony, it
is not at all likely the public will hear
much regarding the discussions in COM
mittee. The preliminary proceedings in
connection with the bill will be con-
- icrbf n
in camera obscura.
Porter's action is that Of the serf
with the padlocked collar, not that of
an Independent and public-spirited Off
Ger Of a great state. The public had a
right to expect fair play with regard
to a matter of such vital Importance as
race track gambling. Now there is lit
tie or no hope for square deal, for
the committee was packed when it was
picked. Porter's sense of responsible
ity to the citizens of California is evil
IDENTIFY dead, while his anxiety to please
corruptionist corporation is most
painfully and disgustingly evident.
But he will have the people of Cali
fornia to reckon with, later on, for we
are persuaded that every day the feel
ing grows stronger that it is time to
abolish race track gambling in this
lovely and enlightened state.
All our best citizens who have ex-
pressed themselves on the subject agree
with The Herald in characterizing
gambling as a menace to society. The
time will come when civilized men and
women will look back at the liberation
of the gambling evil as an evidence OF
lack of civilization, just as we look
back at the days Of cock fighting and
bull batting and say our ancestors who
could both sanction and enjoy such bar
barous "amusements" lacked both re-
fnement and humanity.
THE so-called respectable" part of
our civilization is a constant protest
against gambling, for it is founded on
law and order, and gambling is never
orderly. No system of economy recog-
nizes gambling as legitimate element
in the life of any nation or community,
while history affords many instances OF
nations which in their decadence have
been vertically enslaved by the gambling
habit. Gambling is foe to good sport
1t encourages crookedness, and it is
impossible to believe that any horse
race or any other contest of any kind
would be fixed" if the element of
gambling were eliminated from sport.
In Southern California let us resolve
to put an end to it, in spite Of Porter
and the Southern Pacific machine.