view raw text
WILL COMBAT BLUE LAWS LEAGUE ORGANIZED IN NEW YORK TO FOSTER PERSONAL LIBERTY. Work In Opposition to Efforts of Professional Reformers Who Seek Defeat of Gittins Bill At Albany Next Month Is Entered Upon. New York, August 25. In the interest of fairer and better government ami for tho purpose of fostering personal liberty a new league has been formed. It is known as the Farmers and Merchants Mutual Assistance League and is a direct outcome of the growing disposition to enact blue, laws such as the Hart-Agnew measure, and its various amendments that have so effectually killed off the racing of thoroughbreds throughout the State of New York. Both merchants and farmers have come to a realization of what has been lost with the loss of racing, and the name has been aptly chosen for the league. While the professional reformers have been busying themselves distributing colored literature urging the dereat of the Gittins bill at Albany next month, this league has been doing some work of its own in presenting to the people sound reasons why the law should prevail. A little brochure is being "widely distributed setting forth reasons why the law should be passed, and each day there are many new names added to the league as a result. Judge Mirabeau L. Towns is quoted at length. Mr. Towns remarked that Governor Dix was really elected by Republicans, and that these included thousands of small shopkeepers and others who are interested in racing, who are all in favor of the Gittins bill. Judge Towns said: "The best proof of this is that Senator Agnow, the father of the Hart-Agnew bills, lost his own district by 8,000 votes, making his campaign on his anti-racing bill, so you see what his own people thought of it after they had a taste of it. The rest of the state feels the same way. "Racing of itself is harmless and good. It in-duces people to keep in the open air and stimulates tin: breeding of fine horses. As people will bet in TlHJOlroomSr why not give them a chance to see the horses run? If racing is cut off entirely the wealthy sportsmen, who- have fortunes involved, will seek some other country. to race in." Liberal quotations are made from various publications, and the harm that has been done by reason of no racing lias been set forth clearly. For president the league has Jerome 1$. Rice, who is also president of the Cambridge Valley County Fair Association. Its vice-president is E. Rollins Morse of the Union Club, New York. George C. Reynard of 1-40 Broadway. New York, is secretary and treasurer, and M. S. Wilson of Saratoga is the assistant secretary and treasurer, with George F. Shevliu, also of Saratoga, the assistant treasurer.
