Senators Refuse to be Rushed: Upper Branch of South Carolina Legislature Proceed Regularity with Anti-Betting Bill, Daily Racing Form, 1912-02-04

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SENATORS REFUSE TO BE RUSHED. Upper Branch of South Carolina Legislature Proceed Regularly with Anti-Betting Bill. o.lunibia. s. c. February 3.— The opponents of racing vvc checkmated last night in the Senate when they attempted to gel a speedy and favorable report on the bill recently naasen in the lowei blanch of the Legislature. Their intent was to uet fast action i.n the measure and have it come up for an early v..t. in the Senate. There vva- oh jection to the haste, and the Judiciary Committee a.-signcd nexl Wednesday as the date m which th. will hear arguments. A committee of representative business men of Charleston will appear before the Judiciary Committee t. -|*-ik against the measure. The Senate bill Is made a special order of business for the i ight session Tuesday. It is not likely thai final action ..n this bill will bo bad until towards ii.. .id ... the week. The bill will thou, if pa— ed. go t.. the lower bouse for action, and this Mil require additional tine- before rinal passage of the bill, if ii does pa — . Governor Blease will then consider the matter, for it will become his duly either to approve the measure or veto ii. The latter i- ii.. i at all an unlikely happening, according to report. Columbia, s. c. February :i. — Tin arguments used by those in favoi of the passage of the Erckmaun Osborne-Carlisle antl betting bill during the debate that preceded the passage of that measure in the lower branch of the Legislature were of the familiar -..ii. VltnperoUS attacks were made upon racing and ii- accompanying features by legislators who perhaps knew nothing of the snort a- il i- ..in ducted on imp.. riant tracks. Opposition to the passage of th. bill was led by Messrs. Tobias and Vander Ilorsi of Charleston and Mr. Hamilton of Union. Mr. Tobias said in 11107 there was introduced a bill to charter the South Carolina Jockey Club. The bill passed, almost without a dissenting voice. Thai was iiv.- years ago. Following the action of tin- Legislature preparations were mad.- and plans devised t . operate a racing track in Charleston. Nothing was said to lead to the belief thai there vva- any apposition to the plans outlined in the charter granted in l» 7. The promoters of that club went faithfully and earnestly to work to get the rac. track, and now this bill seeks to undo what vv.i- done in granting the charter in 1MiT. Tic.-. men acted ..n the good faith •• the Legislature and expended a quarter .. a million dollar-, it looked i.. 1 1 i in hk. . .mi-, ating nropi rtv . For years and yea--, the races have gone on at the Slate Fair and no one has spoken of the people ..! the stale beiug Insulted and offended, lb- said he never heard any protest against the racing in connection with the fair. It i- stated thai the races have tied! run out of otli.-r states. No one sa.v- the -mi md It ions .-xi-t in Charleston a- prevailed in the-, other states. There is racing Im1.iv in Kentucky, and in Virginia iiii- same proposition was killed almost unanimously No one know- that tin- conditions hat exist here ever existed in other StatM. Condition- differ and should I* isidered. 11.- asked members if they realized thai the pro p..-.. I lull denies th. light of Jury trial. The time ha- not come, h. urged, to abandon the right ..f trial b.v jurv . a- th. bill proposes. He was un alterably opposed i" denying anyone the right of trial b jury. Mr. Hamilton -aid morality cooid not be legislated ml. .ui people. lb- was not afraid of any people. II. had been in Saratoga and no one had hurt him. lb wauled the house to be con-.rv.it ive and let the people have -one- recreation. The pla.v io teach morals i- in the homes ami not • ■ the statute books. II.- ...iild -eo no reason why Charleston should he denied it- tun il il wanted it. Mr. vander Horst said he was not surprised at the range ..f the debate, for in Issues where morals are featured, it i- difficult to g.t down Io facta. In the discussion of moral or so called moral .p.. -lion- many could not see the real question. It maj be gathered that the i pie "t Charleston warn tin- protection: thai they are in great alarm and all thai. I.- refute -uch an Idas Mr Van. hi Hoist presented a petition signed by from l.2 io to 1,500 people asking that the race track be left alolle. The petition came from two third- of the properly owneis of Charleston. The heal names of the eltj were on the petition, he declared, aud yet it is . argued thai tnese people do not know what they wanl aid what is not for their liest interests, he said. He did not know what the ultimate effect . of the race meeting will be in Charleston. He wished lo wait and see. He protested that his j people were not degenerate-, but were good people. and II. • great majority of the people of Charleston, In- urged, did not favor the pending bill. In the Act of 1007 an amendment to prohibit gambling was killed. Il was suggested *o prohibit belling in lb. charter of 1997. but this was voted down. i


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800