Catoctin clarion., 1917-08-16
IONT FREDERICK COUNTY, Md THURSDAY, AUGUST &c. 1917
Gambling At Race Tracks.
Maryland One OF Two States
Permitting This Great Evil.

| The Maryland Anti-Race Track Gam
bling Association, of Baltimore, is MAX
ing desperate effort to have gambling
prohibited in Maryland. 1t seems that
all but two states, Maryland and Ken
lucky, have passed laws to drive out
race track gambling, ard if statements
are as bad as told, Maryland should not
allow such in her borders. Read the
following paragraphs carefully, the same
being sent US by the Association:
Race Track Gambling has it's last nest
ing place in America in Maryland and
Kentucky. Because of its geographical
location Maryland is the Race Track
gamblers paradise. Through the gam
bling machines at Maryland's four race
tracks several million dollars annually
pass. Of a total of $349, ,553 in tickets
sold at Pimlico one d Y in May 1917,
$242, 1872 were losing tickets. 1t is no
wonder that lives are ruined and homes
wrecked in this mad saturnalia of race
track gambling.
When 43 states have abolished Race
Track Gambling, why is not this good
example for Maryland to follow?
When the United States Congress has
driven it out of the District of Columbia,
why should our state be one of the two
to legalize it?
Wholesale race track gambling in
Maryland began with the opening of the
Havre de Grace track. The Havre de
Grace track was created under an inno-
cent looking law passed for the alleged
purpose of re-opening the Fair Grounds
at Belair but in reality to open the flood
gates to all the gambling crowd of the
country which had been kicked out of
other states.
Do YOU know that the man who helped
TO frame the law for the Havre de Grace
track committed suicide when he discov-
cred what he had done and gave that as
his dying reason?
Do you know that even the Governor
of our state was deceived into signing
the bill, and that not man interested
dared to show his hand?
Do you know that even the race track
men themselves admit that SO, 600, 600 was
bet one year at Pmlico, Laurel and
Bowie, to say nothing of Havre de Grace
which is as large or larger than any of
| the others, so that it is safe to say that
the total was at least Sl2, 000, 900 year?
The President of the United States has
called for economy and sacrifice on the
part of every citizen of the country.
Why should this awful waste of money
be permitted when not one dollar of it is
expended for any good purpose?
Do you realize that Maryland with her
two trunk line railroads running from
Washington to New York, thus reaching
the most densely populated district in
the United States, offers the most at
tractive location to be found for this race
track gambling game?
Do you wonder then that the gambling
crowd is making such frantic efforts to
retain their foothold in this good old
| State and to further gain control of the
entire situation by commission at nom
! ina salaries and a large revenue to the
State, thus becoming entrenched in our
/ financies so that nothing short of revo-
luton will dislodge them?
| Do you know that the race tracks at
the last session of the Legislature were
ready to pay 100000 year as a license
to be allowed to continue to rob our peo-
pie and ruin our homes?
Do you know that now they are willing
that this license should be made $500, 600
as war measure in order that they
might appear as patriots when in reality
their only desire is to fasten themselves
as leeches upon the finances of our State
in order that they may wreck our homes
and ruin our firesides?
Has the State sunk so low that she
will go into partnership with gambling
and take revenue from source sur
rounded by every kind of evil in its most
alluring form?
Do you know that before the days of
the Hughes Law in New York it was de-
clared on good authority that gambling
at Saratoga in twenty-five days was
equal to Monte Carlo in ten years?
Do you know that many respectable
men and women begin gambling at race
tracks and wind up in dens and dives of
the city?
For the sake then of home, of family,
of sons of daughters, and even of your
wives-for no one is immune-won't you
enroll yourself as member of the Mary
land Anti-Race Track Gambling Associa-