Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-14
RACE BILL BEATEN
May Be Reconsidered, as
Such Motion Was Adopted.
VOTE WAS ALMOST EVEN
twenty-five Senators Vote Against
Gittins' Measure, Twenty Are
Cast in Its Favor.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ALBANY, July 14.-Aside from the adj
| verse vote on the final passage of the
Gittins bill to exempt the directors of
| race tracks from personal liability for
violations of the gambling law. the most
| interesting feature of the three-hour de-
| bate in the senate yesterday was the
strong reform vein that emphasized the
| speeches of the senators who voted for
| and against it,
Senator after senator rose solemnly,
| focused his eyes on the ceiling and asser-
waited most dramatically that he had
never been at a race track. didn't know
one card from another. never looked upon
wine. whisky or beer when 1t was red.
always kept good hours, and had abso-
lutely no knowledge of 'bookmaking" ex-
| cept in its relation to the binding Of the
Sunday school periodicals that furnish
his daily literary diversions.
No such spectacle has been witnessed
in the legislature before in many years.
The wicked senators who voted to pass
the bill either held their breath in ad-
miring Management at the nerve of their
| sanctffied colleagues, or left the chamber
to indulge in horse laugh.
There were twenty votes for the bill
and twenty-five against it. Nine senator's
''ducked.' 1t Is on these nine that the
promoters of the racing legislation pin
strong hope of yet being able to secure
the twenty-SiX votes necessary to pass
the measure. They plan to make final
effort to drag success out of the fire next
Monday night, but the indications are
that they are doomed to disappointment
Can Reconsider Vote.
| A motion to reconsider the vote yester-
day, which was adopted, will permit this
| move. Of the nine absentees who hold
| the fate of racing in their hands, seven
are republicans and two democrats. They
are Senators Allen. Argetsinger. Emer-
| son. Griffith, Hewitt, Thomas and Wal
tiers, republicans, and Harden and White,
democrats.
| The battle over the bill attracted full
house, and before the balloting began a
| delegation of racing men, headed by r.
T. Wilson. John Sanford, Andrew Miller
and other sportsmen, who came to the
state capitol to urge it's passage, were
confident they had votes enough to put it
| through.
The abandonment of the bill to define
| bookmaking had seemed to assure the
| passage of the measure called up by
| Senator Gittins, which limits the liability
Of directors of racing associations ex-
/
place to be used for gambling
| The effect of this provision would be to
| exempt directors from any responsibility
for bets that might be made on race
! tracks without their knowledge or official
sanction. as they would not, of course,
| designate any place to be used Tor
| gambling"
Senator Newcomb's efforts to delay the
consideration of the bill raised a question
Of veracity between Senator Stillwell,
| chairman Of the codes committee, and
| himself and provided some entertainment
for the galleries, but did not materially
| affect the consideration of the bill.
| The fight for the measure was led by
Senators Gittins and Grady. The latter
| first tried to delay final vote on the bill
| by moving that consideration be post
| poned until either tomorrow or Monday.
saying in explanations: We've got only
| twenty-one votes for them.
| With Newcomb insisting on an fmme-
| date vote, 1t was agreed to eliminate
debate and permit senators to explain
their vote on the calling of the roll.
Bracket the minority leader came first.
In outlining his reasons for supporting
| the bill he told of how racing had bene-
| flied his home town, Saratoga, asserting
| that he had agreed to vote for the meas
ure only after having been assured by
the racing men that its passage would
not mean a return to the "old conditions
| of open race-track gambling
I've lived in Saratoga Springs for
thirty-nine years. said Bracket, land
only three times during all those years
have 1 visited the race track"
| Senator Duhamel. in casting his vote
| for the bill, remarked:
| I've got three race tracks in my dis
| trict, and I'm going to vote for this bill
for the reasons outlined by Senator
| Brackett.'
Gittins Speaks for Bill.
Senator Gittins, author of the bill, said
in part:
Il have no race tracks in my district,
nor am 1 accustomed to attend races-in
fact, I've soon only two races during my
entire life. My only interest in the bill is
based on the common principles Of Amer
lean fair play"
Gittins charged that many of the
names signed to petitions against the
bill were either forged or secured by
Misrepresentation.
Senator Grady charged that Gov.
Hughes in forcing the anti-race track
gambling bills. had been insincere be-
cause he refused or neglected to strike
a similar blow at Wall street gambling.
Wall street gambling was the only
sort Of gambling for which Hughes had
any sort Of affection" he said.
Senator McClelland stigmatized the leg
islative representatives of 'uplift' socie-
ties who had opposed the Gittins bill as
| film Hammers engaged in the business
of securing contributions from the
| churches to line their own pockets" He
added: Il never saw a horse race or a
| ball game, but / never missed prize
| fight if / could help it,
| Mr.. Wilson. who is president of the
| Saratoga race track, has practically
abandoned all hope of relief at the hands
Of the legislature. He left Albany last
night with the intent Of locking up the
Saratoga track, which was scheduled to
run during August, and intimated before
going that he would ship all his horses
out Of the country.