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RICHARD CROKER HAS STRONG FEELING Bitterly Contrasts the Personal Liberty of England with that of His Own Land Richard Croker in a cabled talk about American events ns he sees them In Ireland Is quoted as say ¬ ing Look what the politicians have been up to in New York The Hughes antibetting law Is enough to damn any party They have broken up horse rac ¬ ing They nre ruining the country ruining the race tracks in which a great deal of money is invested ruining the breeders of horses many of whom arc breaking up their studs and that in a free country It is a free country no longer You get more free dom over here I go to race meetings here and 1 see a fine crowd of people enjoying themselves and King Edward himself at their head King Edward is the finest sportsman in the world and if there was anything wrong in it do you think he wouid be at the head of all kinds of snorts in this country In London you have the National Sporting Club where they encourage all kinds of sports and are allowed to make a certain amount of money atd the rest goos to hospitals and charities Croker added that lie Tvas hot against a certain supervision of betting and gambling and would favor the introduction of the parimutucl system of betting but certainly would not endeavor to stop betting altogether as it was in human nature to gamble and in tho spirit of a free people Thats why it is tolerated over here because it Is the will of Ihe people and thats why the king is at UK head Continuing his argument as to the ethics of gambling Croker said it was in the essence of human nature to gamble If I Insure this house ho said Indicating the mansion in which he lives I merely bet with the insurance company that it will be burnt down and the company bets it wont and if I Insure my horse I bet he will break his neck and the company takes the risk that he will not It is the same to a large extent in buai ness of all kinds But Mr Croker a man may bet with what he cannot afford to lose he may mortgage his coat That coatThat replied Croker is his affair If lie didnt put it on a horse he probably would get rid of it some other way Croker added there was no reason why gambling laws should not apply equally to the stock exchange as to the race track Hughes policy Croker said would get us back to the puri ¬ tanical days of knownothing Croker hopes to visit New York in the fall but his mission will have nothing to do with politics
