The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-24
ANTI-RAcIkG BILL DISCUSSED.
REPRESENTATIV OF BOTH
SIDES WE'RE HEARD YES
TERDAY.
Opponents Claim That Rejecting of
Race Meet Will Hurt Charleston
Financially Proponents Say Ii
Will Help Morals.

tives were heard before the joint
meeting Of the judiciary committees
of the senate and the house yesterday
afternoon on the bill to abolish rae
ing In South Carolina. Charleston
sent a delegation to plead for the
race course as business proposition
and help to their city. Several min
listers were present and asked for the
passage Of the bill as a moral meas
ure. 1t was claimed that race
course can not exist without book
makers" being connected with it.
Mr.. Erckmann, a representative in
the house from Charleston, spoke for
the bill as its author. He said that
1T was not a bill to prevent racing,
but its object is to drive gambling
out Of the State. He said that If 1t
Is the contention Of the men who
advocate horse racing thea 1t is
damned out Of the mouths Of it's
sponsors. The bill, said Mr.. Erck-
mann. is almost an exact transcript
tion Of the bill of Gov. Hughes that
drove racing out of New York State.
1t is not a business, otherwise New
York. New Orleans, Memphis, Tampa
and Jacksonville would not have
driven them out. 1t is an immoral
hnf MI go
boy. who first iearns to gamble,
then to rifle the money till of his en-
ployer. He said that he is pleading
for the youths who are weak and for
the ur!ift Of his community. He dis
puted that the race track is either
n business proposition or moral
agent.
Mr.. Hunt Of Newberry said that he
was appointed by the State Baptist
convention to memorialize the gen.
eral assembly to pass the bill. He
read the resolution.
Rev. K. G. Finlay, pastor Of Trim
ity church, appeared and said that
he represented the Ministerial AS
sociation Of Columbia. and he pray
ed that the bill be enacted into law.
A resolution protesting against gamb-
ling was published by the association
November %, in which it voiced its
protest, said Mr.. Finlay.
DR.. E. o. Watson, pastor Of Wash
ington street Methodist church, said
that he represented the Methodist
Episcopal conference, and that a me.
mortal had been already presented to
the general assembly asking that the
bill now before the committee be
passed. He was pleading for a pure
life. South Caroli~ was caught un-
aware and had no statute to suppress
the evil, he said.
II. II. Hyde Of Charleston said that
as a business man Of Charleston, he
wanted to protest against racing in
Charleston AID most earnestly plead
ed that this bill pass He said that
he is a banker Of many years ex-
perience and he most certainly would
not want to employ a man who gam
bles. He said that as one of a COM
mittee appointed by the Baptist State
convention, he represented 1885,
600 people who did not want this
evil in their midst. Major Hyde said
that he had all his life been a friend
TO youth and he now pleaded for
them in the passage Of the bill that
Will stop an evil that threatens to
destroy many. 1t is an economic fall
lacy, said he, to think that something
capable to suck the financial life
blood Of a people can be benefit.
DIR. Lane Mutually of Charleston, in
opposition to the bill, said that he
was before the committees to repre-
sent what he considered a business
proposition. The racing association
has expended something like $780,
600 in equipping a track and all such
duct race meet.
''Do you think it would be fair"
said he, ito give these men a chance
and see that they are running their
business on the square before you
legislate them out of busiaess?" DR..
Mutually said that the plant is now
ready FOR the meet to begin.
q. w. G. Margenhoff president Of
the Charleston Biscuit company, said
that as business man he favors the
race meet, because it will do good.
He made the claim that Charleston is
always backward when there is any
new developmental enterprise con-