The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-05
oRsE-RACING AND CITIES,


betting thereon, has disclosed the Gu
! rious fact that IN this State of highly
! pretentious (but sadly lacking in at
least one important particular in prac-
ticaN morality. there is no statute
against horse-racing for money, or bet
ting on horse racing. Nearly all the
other States have cnactments against
these practices, but Utah, it appears,
has not. Perhaps it will have such
legislation some day, when IL fully
senses the sentiments of other portions
of this country on this question. 1t
will be on this maybe rs on the prohibi.
tion question. The ruling priesthood
here never thought any such legisla-
tion necessary until the prohibition
wave set this way; and then 1T was
years ago in the tabernacle pulpit. at
a general conference of the church, put
in a defense of and paliation for. the
selling of liquor by the 4. G. NJ. /. drug
store.
But the racing question is up for more
or less discussion. and it seems that
Councilman Martin thinks the city
should enact the legislation that the
State has so fnr refused to put on the
statute book. How much better it
would be TO drive this racing out of
the city boundaries, and have it, say,
at former race course 'the other
side of Jordan VIC do not know; but
can hardly imagine much Improvement.
However that may be, though, there
was whole lot of good humorcd hu
man nature in Councilman o Donnell S
comment, putting the case on a mans
feelings, whether ne wins or loses on
the races. He frankly confessed that
il made him feel good 10 win. and made
the pointed suggestion that if MI. Mar
tin had bet on the night horse maybe
he would take the races in better
humor But Mr.. Wood made a savage
retort upon Mr. Martin, that took all
the wind out of his sails, so far as he
may have been supposed TO be playing
the galleries, and attempting to set off
present intent for past conduct.
The fact remains, however, that as
long as the State permits racing and The
evils connected with racing, cities can
do little or nothing to suppress them.
The race.course near Ogden. for in
stance, is, we understand, outside the
city limits; and If so. of course Ogden
city could have no control over it, Here,
our rsce.coursc Just now is in the city;
another. the old Calder Park course,
is outside the city. At one time the
chief course was out the Garden City
way, outside the city limits. And it is
easy for the racing fraternity at any
time to have their horsc-raccs on
course outside the city limits, yet near
enough 70 the boundary 10 make il easy
for the crowd 10 attend the races And
the State allows the races 10 be
played, TO any extent that the play
crs desire.
But. it may be asked, care you
against the rsces!f To which we un.
hesitatingIy reply eyes. " They are dc.
moralizing. feverish; they rob the
of large money TINT can i'll
be spared; they deprive merchants of
their Just dues, and put many persons
in misery. Many say that no one ought
10 bet who cannot afford TO lose their
stakes, But the ugly fact remains that
many who cannot afford to lose, do lose;
and they get into pinch and trouble
IN so doing. The result, therefore. is
unquestionably detrimental 10 the com.
welfare. as well AS being evil.
morally speaking, just as other forms
of betting, and as stock gambling.
But the remedy is not in municipal
action. City Councils cannot pass stat
utes: The most they could do would
be TO drive the races outside their lin
IFS, where they would lose even their
present power of preserving order and
preventing iobbery and robbery. No
action but State action will meet tbe
case; and until the State forbids horse
racing for money. and betting on horse
races, II won t do much good for Coun
ellis to attempt to grasp functions
which. the general political orpaniza-
ton OF our commonwealth does not con.
template that they shall exercise. and
which it they do undertake 10 exercise
can have but l:ttla nracF;o,I ona..