Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-01-28
BINGHAM LEADS FIGHT
TO SAVE BIG INDUSTRY
Proven Friend of Farmers Makes
Principal Speech Against
Anti-RacinS Bill

IEdilhlOllf ~ =, jan 20 SN
men before the people OF Ken
lucky today have received th'
enthusiastic reception and evi
dencc of warmcst esteem tha
were given Judge Robert Bing
ham, of Louisville. when ht
spoke before the Senate Com
mittee against the Lee bill which
is aimed to destroy the thor.
oughbred horse industry of Ken
lucky.
After three speeches in favor
OF the bill, when il was annOunc-
cd that Judge Bingham would
make the opening argument
against il the hall OF the House
OF Representatives rang again
and again with salvos OF ap-
plause. Time and again Judge
Bingham was interrupted by
cheers a. he exposed the ignor-
ance manifested in the horse
business and racing that has
been manifested SO frequently by.
those who are heading the cru
SADIE 10 drive il from Kentucky.
Lovers Of thoruughbrcds from
al parts of the United States.
even from distant cities. were
present. A large delegation went
from Lexington and vicinity.
and virtually every Blue Grass
county was represented. with
both women and men prcseat in
the large number OF thorough
bred racing enthusiasts.
After hearing each side Tor
more than two hours, the COM
mittcc adjourned. taking the bill
under adyiscmcnt. While il Is
generally believed that all five
members OF the Committee on
Judiciary are opposed to the bin.
il j. also understood they will
report the measure without an
expression OF opinion: that il
will take the regular course of
bills, be voted on. and. unless in
dications fail, will be rejected
oy th" Senate by 4 vote Of ap-
p1 zimately 2 10 |.
1husr who spoke against rae
ing were Helm Bruce. OF Lou
fsvilic. leader OF the auti-racing
movement and chairman of the
Committee 10 Suppress Race
Track Gambling" William Hay
burn. 4 prominent business man
uf Louisville, aud the Rev. DR.
K. l.. McCrcady. dean OF Christ
Church Cathedral. Louisville. a
well ~ the Rev. John 4. Lee.
Senator from the Green count,
district. who introduced the bill.
Those who defended the sport
were Judge Robert W. Bingham
publisher OF the Louisville Cour-
Ter Journal and The Times De
sha Breckenridge. editor and
publisher of the Lexington Her
aid; Charles J.. Marvin. a repre-
sentative farWer OF Scott county
and George r. Hunt, OF LeXing-
ton, Attorney. .s-
Points of the opponents OF
racing were that there should
be no special exemption OF race
track betting; that il is a moral
issue: that ssule thoruughbreds
are not paving as much taxes a
they are worth; they also clarg-
cd that the pari-mutuelS take in
more money" than the entire
tobacco business of Kentucky.
Advocates or the sport chal-
lcnged the claim that racing
takes IN more money than tobac-
CO, as an absurdity. and Judge
Bingham made the point that
the tobacco growers OF Ken
lucky received last year for their
crop Sl7O,O0OOOO less than the
year before, showing that the
tobacco crop is many times a
greater interest than racing.
Mr.. Breckenridge charged that
Mr.. Bruce had represented the
Cclla-Adler-Tilles syndicate in an
effort TO destroy the Chinn law.
under which the State Racing
Commission operates, and that if
he had sueceeded in having it
held unconstitutional by the
Court of Appeals, the bookmak-
crs would have been brought
back TO Kentucky.
Both editors, Mr.. Bingham and
Mr.. Breckenridge. made the point
that real morality was better
served BY the defeat than BY
tho passage Of the Lee bill. The
extent Of the breeding industry
IN Kentucky was touched on, the
tremendous depression of the
farming industry, and the ne
cessity Of not destroying any
present source of revenue, when
an effort is TO be made to lower
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