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Show M RACE TRACK GAMBLING H Representative Mnbey of DavlB county la loading H out strongly ngalnst raco track gambling, ami has H Introduced u bill tending to put this unsavory prac- H tlco to an end. Wo note with n great deal of H plcasuro that ltcprcscntatlvo Joseph K. Cardon of H Cacho Is backing up Mr. Mabcy good and strong, H and will work to bring about tho necessary reform H In this lino. Opposition to tho movement, howov- H er, Is developing and tho supporters of tho mens- H uro will not find It an easy task to bring It to H n successful Issue. Ruination of business, tho H completo nnhlllatlon of tho State Fair, and all oth- M cr stories will bo told In order to defeat the meas- H urc, but It appears that tho ends desired nro wor- H thy nnd that Utah Is In need of n bill of this kind. Tho Hernld-Hopubllcan It sceniB to us puts tho H matter In Its truo light. It says: M It should bo conceded that any Institution or H branch of activity, however beneficial It muy prove M In Itself, ought to bo abandoned if It requires M wrongful practices for Its support. If horso racing, H either ob tho so called "sport of kings" or as an m encouragement for tho breeding and development B of fast blooded borsos, cannot exist without tho B gambling feature, Utah would better rcsolvo to B forego It. Nor need tho logic against racetrack M gambling bo based wholly on moral grounds, for M there arc sound economic reasons ngalnst It. Its M by-products nro oven worse than the degradation M of men and women nnd tho low standard of com- H m unity living that nro fostered by It. B Over ngnlnst tho arguments opposing further M devastation of Utah by the great gambling plants M that tho racing circuits have become. Its advocator M nro unablo to advnnco n slnglo reason that dolles M controversion. They argue that the money spent M by tho owners, jockeys and hangers on goes Into H tho pockets of tho community In which the meet m is held; they forget that this money must come M first from tho easy marks of that same commun- M lty nnd that n far greater proportion of it remains M with tho parasites who get It. H They dcclnro that n raco meet attracts Strang- M crs from fur and near who spend money in Sail M Lake; they omit to stnlo that tho funds tli ho M spend enmo first from Salt Lake people, that the M strangers carry most of It away, and that the Salt M I.-ke mewhant gets but little . M The entire aggregation that makes Its head- m quarters in this city when tho Rprlng and fall raco H meetings aro In progress comes hero to rellovn tho M "suckers" of their earnings, nnd they lenvo when M that operation has been performed, governing tho B length of tho meet by tho number of dnyB which M ' experience hns told them will bo required to get M nil tho easy money. B The evils of racetrack gambling nro not con- PBf lined to tho loss of money to tho bookmakers by HBb peoplo who cannot afford It, to tho suffering of families whoso provider gambled nway his money, M to tho disgrace brought upon tho Innocent ones, m whoso brother, husband or father robbed his cm- H plojer to get money to lose. Tho crowds of crlml- M units that follow tho gambling plant with their M lowd women partners, tho thieves who prey upon H tho community as footpads or housebreakers, tho M thugs and pluguglles that arc Inseparable from M tho usual raco meet all these aro added to Salt M Lko's population for tho period of the meet. Tho M assessments they levy upon this city for their sup- ' port while here, and the prollts that lcao with M them, do not go through the hands of the bookies, M thc.sc are collected on daik nights In lonely streots B with a blackjack, or In tho homes of tho peoplo HBb. with n jimmy when the occupants have retired or are absent. i Tho most enthusiastic exponent of horse rac- M Ing cannot controvert these facts; ho cannot nil- M swer the moral, economic and commercial reasons n which are ndwinced for tho prevention of raco B track gambling, pool selling nnd tho other Improp- h er concomitants of tho racing game. If they nrguo W. that the few dollars placed lit circulation ovorbal- B nnco the disndvnntagos, they might as well tncludo HH In the Bimio argument tho brothel, tho gambling M hell, nnd tho opium den, slnco all these places In- fl ject money Into tho nrterles of trado; even tho M thief who picks your pocket or robs your office M snfo Immediately spends some of tho loot. m It lias been urged that tho prohibition of raco i track gambling will injure tho races nt tho stnta 8 fair. If wo understand correctly1 tho ends to be H gained, these contests of speed and endurnnco at 1 tho annual stato exposition aro for tho entertain-V,' entertain-V,' i ment of tho crowds and to encourago the brooding j of good horses In Utah. As bucIi, they ought to H bo continued and, If that bo their object, an In- B hlbltlon against gambling will not prevent them. H; It It Injures them to stop wrongful practices, then H it must bo because thoy aro gnmbllng devices, in Hh which event horse racing nt tho fair should he B' suppressed. Tho gambler has displaced ttio horse B' In racing meets; tho proposed law will oust the PIi gamostor and rcstoro oralnonco to the better ant- Htf mnl of tho two. H Th ore nro fow .states In tho union where (ace H track gambling and pool selling aro permitted; H Utah ought not to oo ono of thorn. Tho Herald- ITtcpubllcnn has never believed In compulsory rlgh- H;; .y BHTBrArA BJBJBJBriiBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJH HHBbBbJHBBbBbBhBBk , i MmuMtMjj& toouBness in an attempt to legislate peoplo into tho kingdom of heaven. Wo bcllevo In tho liberty of tho Individual so for as Is consistent with law and order and tho best Interests of society; but so strong nro tho reasons against further submission submis-sion to being plucked semi-annually ty a coterie of men who have exhausted other means of living without working, that tho Utah legislature should pass tho proposed law now ponding nnd stop the practlco onco and for all. |
