, 1923-05-13
BASEBALL POOLS
MUST BE HALTED
FOR GAMES Good
Campaign Started by Lam
dis Should Continue.
BY I. E. sANBoRN.


None too soon did organized base
ball launch its active campaign in
Chicago against the promoters OF
baseball pools, and once inaugurated
1t cannot be pushed too strenuously
by Commissioner lands for the good
Of the game Straws In the wind
which are danger signals tn those con-
versant with history in the world Of
sport were the bill to abolish Sunday
baseball In Illinois and the fate that
met the attempt to legalize Sunday
games in Connecticut.
True enough. the movement to
establish a blue Sunday in Illinois did
not get very far. It ran into a stone
n right away In the storm Of pro-
test that greeted the introduction Of
n bill in the state legislature to abol-
fish Sunday amusements.
Public Opposition Too Strong.
Public opposition was so strong the
guy who introduced the proposed
measure ducked into a cyclone cellar
by begging permission to withdraw
tho bill pronto. True enough, the
Nutmeg state legislators passed a bill
making It possible for cities to le-
galize Sunday baseball during certain
hours, but the governor vetoed It on
ccount of outraged sentiment"
which was so strong in Connecticut
only a few years ago hat railroads
were forbidden to run trains through
the commonwealth during the daylight
hours Of Sunday.
What would AVE happened in the
Illinois legislature II public opinion
had been less strongly in favor OF
baseball can only be guessed. but the
craven subserviency OF both state and
national lawmakers to minorities
which mako noise enough is well
known. 1t is only necessary to bark
back to the eighteenth amendment to
provo 1t. Moreover the failure TO le-
galize Sunday games in Connecticut
was due to the governors dread OF a
well organized minority. Baseball is
played and tolerated on the Sabbath
in several cities Of that state where
the blue law advocates are too few
to make themselves heard above a
whisper.
Steal Plenty Annually.
1t is easy to estrange public senti-
ment and baseball pools are bound to
do that, II the greed of their crooked
promoters cannot be checked They
steal hundreds of thousands of dol
lars annually from the pockets of
folks who cannot afford to lose them.
taking their toll from suckers in the
form of quarters and half dollars.
No wise gamblers are fooled by the
baseball pools. nor many of the fans
who IA afford to pay tribute to the
lottery sharks. And when the wives
u-A Athar Io-a-Ao,4u - 81. .,,-tr.ra
begin to complain loudly enough
against being deprived of necessities
or comforts there will be created a
public sentiment adverse to baseball.
Baseball will not be in any way
responsible for this adverse clamor,
because 1t has been powerless hitherto
to curb the operations OF the pools.
1t will be blamed. however. because It
is the unwilling backbone of the rob
Der eyndicates which operate the lot
teries. And one OF the first weapons
hat will be employed by the op-
pressed victims OF these sharks viii
be an attack on the revenues Of pro-
fessional baseball.
The strongest weapon the diamond
magnates a use against the lottery
which has been fastened on their
sport is publicity and lots OF It. II
the deluded fans who buy baseball
pool tickets knew about all the
crooked schemes used to deprive them
OF even the ridiculously small chance
they would have to win In a legiti-
mately and honestly conducted lot
terry. there would be fewer suckers to
gorge the pockets OF the operators.
Law Violation No Cure.
Making baseball pools hazardous to
play on account OF their violation of
the laws would not cur the evil II
would only enhance the zest of tho
players. just as prohibition a made
drink attractive to many who never
cared for it until 1t became forbidden
fruit"
Exposing the truth about baseball
pools will be much more effective. be-
cause even a sucker hates to recog-
nize himself as such and he could
not help It II he realized the kind Of
game he is up against every time he
digs up a bit Of coin to buy a pool
ticket