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E , , . STRONG SUPPORT FOR CHARLESTON RACING. Hearing at Columbia Shows Business Interests of City Heartily in Favor of the Sport. Columbia, S. C, January 22. — Strong arguments oa the benefit! of tbe races to Charleston from a business standpoint, and the opposing of the auti-racing bill, which has been favorably reported in the II U-- and the Senate, equally featured the rceenl public bearing on the bill. Senator II. B. Carlisle, chairman of tbe Senate Judiciary Commiteee, presided and seated at his left was Chairman Winder Horst, of the Bousj Judiciary Committee. A large delegation from Charleston was present and many visitors wire on the floor of the liaise to listen to the arguments. Three-quarters of an hour were allotted to each side. Representative II. L. Erckmann. of Charleston. the author of the anti-racing bill, opened the argument in favor of the passage I t the bill, and in a I. iir in tn- speech scored what he termed the evil effects of racing and called on the Legislature to nii the bill and drive racing out of South Carolina. Tin I. ill. be state,!, was a copy ■•! the Hart -Agnew law passed In New York. Be bad a list of 100 mums .if business men of Charleston who, he said. favored the passage of the bill. W, II- Hunt, of Newberry, president of the Baptist stat Convention and chairman of a committee ol twenty -Ave appointed by that body to present anti-rachtg resolutions to the General Assembly, read tbe resolutions and spoke hi favor of the bill. Two members of this committee. Bev. H. I.. Jones and Major r. T. Hyde, both of Charleston, were present, Rev. K. O. I— lay, president of the Columbia Ministerial Association, presented resolutions, which • . had I" en adopted by the union against the races at 9W , lb.- time of tbe Columbia meeting, ami spoke ol resolutions against the races which had been adopt I by the Episcopal Sunday school Convention. Rev, K. ». Watson, chairman of the committee appointed by tin Methodist Conference t" present up up resolutions of that body against racing and a m I the mortal In support of the anti-racing bills, presented .1, them and spoke for the bill. tl n Representative Ashley Tobias, of Charleston, had charge of the speakers in favor of the races and op posed t tbe bill. The Oral of these was Dr. Lam — Mullally, who opened the argument in favor of the "1 racing. Be Bald the promoters had Invested over J s..mi.immi m the enterprise and it was just and proper --n gii i! ii ■ chance, having been, as it wen. In- In. in.l sited to come to the state. They were going to e duet clean racing and he said that he hoped another i hearing would be hold so the officers could be present, as they w re away In the north. Be asked that i the bill be killed. V ■ George Marjenboff, as a representative of the l« u • business men of Charleston, made a strong argu- i ment In favor of the rare-. Be employs 150 men and he favored tbe races. Be said there was a certain i i ment In Charleston opposed to everything: that a lew an ago they opposed a railroad being V V. build int • Char! -ton an:! as a resalt it did n"i rn rush conse, ami tin- city suffered as a consequence. He hi final told of the many vacant bouses which were now oc- bs cupled, of the influence of the people Interested in the racing, and the i isinoss which had resulted from tic f the racing people. B as, •!. why inn raring .nl "[ the United States when it w ..ui.i be welcomed in foreign countries, lie spoke of the raws already ..a the statute books against gambling, and asked why pass any more. In reply to a question from Chairman Carlisle, • win. naked if the bill was not against gambling, the speaker said people gambled on most everything. Ih. 1 1 they gambled on Y. M. C. A. relay races, at o o-Cfaurch fails, etc. Life, lie said, was a betting proposition, ami as a business man be favored th ■ : |« racing, wanted the bill killed and thought the races J would do a lot of u....d to Charleston uad the state. l Leon Larisey, replying to tbe statement of the op- 1 1 pooei 1- ■; racl :_ 1- objecting t. South Carolina be o O-ing made a dumping ground for tbe races, said that Ken Orleans had them sixty yean before running them -lit and now wanted them back; that Jackson ,i ville would like to get them back. He spoke of racing being carried ..a through the west and in Canada, aid especially in Kentucky, where it was a state Institution. In a business way the races would help not only Charleston, but tin whole of tin. state. He bad canvassed the retail merchants on King street and 86 per cent of them said they ha I already received a benefit from tin- racing peopl being in Charleston. He -puke of the moneyed men attending tie- rates and which were drawn to Charleston bj iln races and of the money they spent. Mi i v iii M. Israel, a real estate man. favored the i 1 - .Hid thought the results from having them a good thing tor the city and state. "80 many desirable people come wiih the races that one never notices tin fea undesirables which accompany tin-racing," he said. .1. i . Qudgens asked the direct question if the 1 aswagc ..t the bill would hurt the business inter- .-;- ..1 Charleston, to which II. L. Wilenskl replied in the sfflrmative. Be sai.l the bill was aimed at tbe bii-in. -s Interests of Charleston; that he represented tbe bone and -new of the business interests of Charleston and ilial they wanted the races, needed sin monej and other beneficent influences which ■rued therefrom. "They brought outside money into this state, which did not have to follow other slate- and drive out racing." -aid tbe speaker. "for Charleston ;nei|s the Btlmulant which results from th races being held there. Life is a gamble. business i- nothing but a gamble." said he. "and radical reforms are always dangerous.* c. it. Gibson favored the races. :imi thought it would Ik- ■ good idea for the legislators to look Into tbe »| when they visit Charleston. "See . the gambling carried on there, and then I will c.n Rtitute mys.lf a committee of one to show you other tonus of gambling carried on. indoor gambling, in Charleston, an.; you would had the nee track a good deal more decent ihan many other things v.. ii •_ mi in Charleston," he -aid. George Marjenboff said that 1,000 of the business people of Charleston had signed a petition favoring tbe races, and they were opposed to the bill. Teh grams favoring the races and opposing the bill w.n read by Mr. Vandet Ilorst from the Automobile ai d Marine Company. William M. Bird, Molony and Carter and Cant. 1". W. Wagoner. The teli gram from Captain Wegener was a- follows: "Through -i. ku -- 1 am prevented appearing before our delegation. Bone tiny will decide in favor of 1 racii u. 11 la bringing lets of business to Charleston, H and it will enable us to have a county fair. Bust- ~ oc-- should be encouraged. We want enterprise. I Hope your delegation will do its part well."
