Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-02-16
SHOULD RACE TRACK GAMBLING
BE ABOLISHED

This question is now before the
present Legislature for considera-
ton and our Legislators will in all
probability have to go on record.
either for or against IT, The question
Is certainly an important one, no mat
ter from what angle it is viewed.
Like every other business enterprise
the persons who have invested their
money feel that IL would be a great
blunder and hardship on them TO
abolish It, Moreover, the patrons and
sporting element as a whole, are OPP
posed TO the abolition or even any
further restriction thereof, and so the
race track gambling business has
quite a large and influential backing.
There is, however, a great multi
tude who are opposed to the busi-
ness, stating that II ought to be abol-
ished because It is immoral, harmful,
degrading. and even pernicious and
on par with all other crimes on our
statutes. Like every other question
il has two sides and as the fight APP
proaches each side is mobilizing and
marshalling their forces together for
the fray.
II will be very interesting TO note
that there are only two States in the
Union that legalize the business
Kentucky and Maryland and only
one other place in North Amer
ice, Mexico. II race track gambling
has been abolished in every other
state in the Union except Kentucky
and Maryland, 1t must be bad thing
and the people of this State ought to
get rid of IT,
II will also be interesting to note
that gambling of every other kind is
a crime In the State of Maryland.
The question therefore is, why is this
form of gambling at the race track
and through the bookmaker permit
ted TO continue legalized and encour-
aged? We believe the principal rea-
son is that the people, as whole, or
this state. including those who are en-
gagged in the business and the patrons
of the race track do not stop to con-
slider the immortality and harm result
ing therefrom The ignorant colored
man or woman, who is caught shak-
ing dice or shooting crap in a back
alley for a few pennies, is sent to
prison. while the race track gamb-
Ter who plays for large sums of
money is permitted to play the races
without having fear of being caught.
as he Is licensed to do So This is
certainly inconsistent, to say the
least II It is a crime to shake dice
or shoot crap or play cards for money,
how can anyone consistently say that
betting on the races ought not to be
made a crime The gambling habit is
certainly terrible one, and when 1t
grips man It causes him to take the
money which his wife and children
and parents need and to stake it and
lose II to satisfy the gamblers fever.
IL often causes him to violate his mar
riage vows and in many instances
lands him among the outcasts of So
ciety and finally puts him behind pris-
on doors. This is not an exaggeration
OF the results of this vice and can be
proved from the records of the police
courts and the companies whose bust
ness it is to become surety for men
in positions of trust.
MIR. John r. Stone, president of a
well known bonding company of Bal
timore, Maryland. The Maryland
Casualty Company, has had printed
a pamphlet entitled Some Facts of
Race Track Gambling Demoraliza-'
ton" in which there is cited a num-
Der of cases showing defalcations re-
sulting directly from this kind of
gambling, Thirteen cases are men
toned therein of business men
clerks, statesmen. tellers, cashiers,
county and state officers. In most
cases the guilty parties were sent to
prison.
These are some of the evil results
of race track gambling, surely there
is nothing that can be said in favor
of IL that would overcome them.
At this time. too. when the govern
ment at Washington is trying to OBJ
tain strong and healthy. moral young
men for service in the army or navy.
in order that it may help to win the
war against plutocracy, serious con-
sideration should be given to the bill
when it comes up for action Camp
Meade with its 10000 young men
from Maryland and neig
States is in the center of the Laurel
race track. the Bowie race track and
race track. and the Havre de
Grace race track not very far away.
These young men have been drawn
from their homes under the Selective
Military Service Law and should be
safe-guarded in every particular from
everything of evil tendency. II the
race track is all that it is said to be.
;u,paoraI harmful and degrading