The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1921-10-18

It's creation.
Mr.. Bruce may not know it, but we
believe 1t To be a fact that the chief
reason his known client, Celia and his
actual clients, Cella's associates,
wanted the act declared uncOustitu-
tionaI vas that it made possible the
destrucs ON of their syndicate book.
We do not say that Mr.. Bruce
knows it, because after his statement
we fear 20 state that he knows even
the most widely known fact but &C.
cording to The grand jury of JefTer-
son County it is d fact that a vast
number Of handboOks are being Oper-
ated in the city Of Louisville"
We have not heard of any movement
by Mr.. Rruce TO stop these hand books
II Mr.. Bruce had succeeded in the
suit TO declare unconstitutional the
act creaLin@ the State Racing Com
mission there wOulG be books on the
race tracks as well as handbooks in
the city. The law now prohibits hand
books in the city. But they exist in
the city of Louisville, Yet Mr.. Bruce
starts u campaign against ''legalized
betting and so far as we know takes
no action against the illegal bettin:
that is, il our opinion, infinitely the
greater evil. which is rampant in his
own home town.
In the communication published this
morning, Mr. Bruce says:
81 have never pretended to make
any accurate statement of what are
the total profits Of the Jockey Club,
because do not know them"
II, statement by him sent through
the Associated Pres; from Louisville,
September II, he says:
"A IeSalized giant monopoly enjoy.
ing the gambling privileges realizes .
profit of two or three million of dol.
lars a year out of this demoralizins
vice"
Again we apologize for having stat.
ed in a previous editorial that Mr..
Bruce knows this statement is inaccu-
rate. But we ayow that it is inaccu.
rate and utterly misleading and
known to be inaccurate by every man
and woman who has even curSory In.
formation in regard to the purses and
stakes given by the Jockey Club, the
expenses incident to the conduct OF
racing and the taxes paid by the
Jockey Club.
Mr. Bruce closes his communication
with this statement:
"Pari-mutueI betting on the racs
tracks may be a safer form of betting
than bOOkmaking- safer for the gam
bler-Dut 1 am not interested in pro
tecting the gambler"
Who is it Mr. Bruce is interested
in protecting? AS a lawyer he was
interested in forwarding the interests
of Celia, TITLES and Adler, who, though
Of course he never knew it, conducted
bucket-ShOps and syndicate books
The present movement fathered by
him will inure to the benefit of the
bookmaker and handbook men, though
equally If course he does not know
this. As proven by the result in New
York, the success of the movement he
advocates will lead to a form OF
gambling that is most perniciOus AM
as a rule crooked.
As revealed by the report of the
grand jury in Louisville, the hand
books flourish even in the rari1ed at
mosphere that surrounds Mr.. Bruce. ,
Not interested in protecting the
gambler? OF course not. Not inter.
ested in the personnel Of his clients
who employed his services to destroy
the State Racing Commission so that ,
they might run race tracks in Ken
lucky as they ran them in Missouri
solely for the benefit of the syndicate ,
hook? Not interested in protecting
the breeding interests? What is Nh
Bruce's real interest?
ESs
His letter reveals, according to his
own statements, that Mr.. Bruce has
never been interested enough to as
certain even the most widely knownl
facts in regard to racing and that
lie Knows ITO LuOIG IDOul II uO"
he knew when he was the attorney
for Douglas Park and the bucket-ShOp-i
bookmaking aggregation that owned it
I Why is Mr.. Bruce giving his dmaI
and his high ability and great repu-j
tatioE and his money to this fight TOT
have repealed the provision in thel
kentucky statutes that was passed.
April Sth, 1898. years before he ap-
peared as the attorney for the Douglas
Park Jockey Club? He did not then
attempt to have that section Of the
statutes repealed The act creating
the State Racing Commission was
passed in 1906. The provision under
which pari-mutuels are permitted was
passed in 1893, thirteen years before
that. During those years the book
makers operated as unmolested on the
race tracks as they now operate in
Louisville ana will again operate on
the race tracks if Mr.. Bruce succeeds
in his present efforts.