The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-01
An End of Racing.

Inc New / OK fdeFdius ile new 1Ork
World. and other daily newspapers Of
the metropolis are doing what they can
at the eleventh hour to induce Gov
Hughes TO refrain from signing the
race track bill. which. passed by the New
York legislature. is now in his hands.
The World says that the Jockey Club
would like to say few words to the
governor before It Is lynched by the act
OF the legislature" and the New York
Herald refers to the destruction Of a
great industry" the throwing Of thou
sands of honest persons out of employ
ment, and so on.
All this because when the first race
track bin was passed, a year or so ago.
designed to do away with bookmaking on
the New York race tracks. it was found
that the bill had a technical flaw which
permitted so-caIled ''oraP' betting be-
tween man and man, and under this flaw
b0okmaking. though somewhat restricted
in It's openness, has continued 10 flourish
The new bill for which Gov. Hughes,
backed up by a large body of the law
abiding people of his state. has labored
is so designed as 10 prohibit betting OF
any sort on the race track This is the
bin which. if he signs it-and he IN
doubleday willis TO lynch" the Jockey
Club.
Passing over the reckless language of
the New York World, which must know
as well as any one that to lynch" is TO
punish without forms Of law, and there
fore has no application TO a bill passed
by the legislature and signed by the gov
ernor. we may remark that the attitude
least. a curious one. There is absolutely
nothing in the race track bill that pro-
hibits horse racing or the giving Of prizes
for horse racing. All that is designed is
to stop the practice of betting on horse
racing. The papers that now talk about
the destruction Of industry and the hon
est persons who are to be thrown out
of employment would be the last 10
countenance public gambling in any other
field. All of them, at times. have been
severe on their police officials because
they could not, or would not. shut up the
faro banks. roulette games, and the pool
rooms on the island of Manhattan. FIRE.
quently we have been told through the
columns OF these same newspapers that
the men at the head of the Jockey CLUB
deprecated gambling on the race track,
and on every race track in New York
these officials have sought to make their
positions clear by posting placards about
the grand stand warning the public that
betting was not allowed.
But now that the fight Is over and the
bin for which Gov, Hughes fought is in
his hands for signature. we learn the
truth: That horse racing in New York is
not simply for the sport alone, that It
does not find it's justification. as has so
the breed Of horses. but that its very
existence depends now, as it has always
depended, on the side issue of betting. The
New York Herald says Ito destroy the
sport on the plea Of removing some Incl
dental abuses is like burning down a barn
to get rid OF the rats" 1t overlooks the
fact that the bill is aimed only at and
deals only with these so-called 'fnci-
dental abuses by which is meant book
making No good citizen, knowing the
shame and the misery that follow public
gambling, is going TO regret the stopping
Of horse racing if that is necessary to
stop gambling. The great industry is,
after all, one which affords amusement
TO company OF rich men, and the "hon-
est persons" who are affected will surely,
If they are as honest as all that, be able
to secure employment elsewhere.
The New York plea Is pathetic, but we
are happy 10 believe it is too late.