view raw text
NOT MUCH PERTURBED Kentuckians Do Not Fear House Mutuel Repeal Measure. Believe That It- Will Meet Its Death in the Senate Early Action Expected. LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 16. The racing interests in Kentucky seem to be but little perturbed at the action of the house of representatives passing a measure to repeal the pari-mutuel betting law in Kentucky, last Wednesday. The action of the lower house came from a wing of the Democratic party, having some strength in both houses of the legislature, which, since that body convened in January, has by adroit leadership, attempted to thwart all legislation proposed by Governor Fields and his administration. Close watchers over the sessions of the present legislature predict that tho anti-racing legislation Aviil receive its quietus . when it comes to a vote in the senate. This bill is expected to be reported out by a friendly committee, most any day, in order that the lobby fighting racing may see that their work in the direction of striking a deadly blow at the racing and breeding interests of the state has again come to naught. How strong the anti-racing forces are in the senate will be disclosed by this vote. According to friends of racing the senate has at least twenty-five votes out of a total of thirty-eight, while others say as many as twenty-nine votes will be recorded against tho measure passed through the house, with the intention of killing tho sport. Votes in the lower house on Thursday on certain "ripper" measures introduced by Louisville democrats disclosed clearly the direction from which the anti-racing measure received sufficient strength on Wednesday to enable it to pass the house. It developed clearly that a half dozen or more Democrats, who have never been reconciled since the late Congressman Cantrill defeated Congressman Barkley in the Democratic primary for governor, when the dead leader came out boldly for racing and his opponent against it, intrigued with certain Republicans that if they the Republicans would vote to kill racing they would in turn vote against the "ripper" bill intended to cut off certain Re-, publican patronage in the County of Jefferson, in which Louisville is the county seat. These "bolting" Democrats made good their promises, although the "ripper measure carried easily. JfO CIIAXCE TO "BARTER." Naturally, the "ripper" bill, along with the anti-racing measure, is now in committees over in the senate. But the shoe is on the other foot in the upper body. It is not likely that party treachery can play the part there it did in the house, which is composed of 100 members. . It is said that a vote on the anti-mutuel bill will come up quickly in the senate and not give the Republicans a chance to trade and barter to save their "skins" as they did in the unweildy membership of the house. i While the anti-racing bill could be kept in committee for an indefinite time, as it would take twenty votes to call it out, which the anti-racing side it is claimed can not muster, it is announced by the chairman of the committee to which tho bill was referred, that he will prevail on the committee to report it out as soon as possible. This may come in the next few days. The advantage of this, pay the racing folk, is that the anti-racing bill could bo killed outright without leaving it in committee to bo traded and kicked about for advantage by other interests. That a powerful lobby, has been active to destroy racing at Frankfort during the present session of the legislature is not denied. This lobby has employed the same old tactics used by prohibitionists in other days when the anti-saloon league distributed as much or more among legislatures than did the liquor interests. HOW "LOBBY" WORKS. "11a vo you heard from home?" is one of tho stoclc taunts hurled at county legislators by snoopers of the paid lobby when their position on the racing issue has not been made clear. "If you havent, you had better watch your step on this bill," is the second unsolicited information poured into the ear of the legislator. Then, last, comes a flood of telegrams from the home districts, signed by tho preachers and elders, as well as every sleek reformer, cautioning the lawmaker that lie had better vote against racing. It is an old threat and it used to work. But in these days, since the question has been debated throughout the state, it has probably lost its effectiveness. There are grave doubts as to the consti- Continucd on twelfth pa;e.l NOT MUCH PERTURBED Continued from first page. tutionality of the anti-mutuel bill, which passed the lower house, say the best lawyers. It was slipped over in a flood of bills to the committee on law enforcement and its title merely said : "An act to amend certain statutes and to increase law enforcement." The constitution says that a bill must state clearly in its title the subject matter in the j body of the measure. This was not done in j the title of the bill passed by the house. The : bill lias been somewhat of a scandal since i the committee to which it was referred re- I ported it favorably, before any one knewj what the bill was and insisted on it going to a vote. The committee kept its meetings secret, never called for a hearing of parties interested and reported it favorably, when it knew it would destroy millions of dollars Avortli of property overnight to say nothing of cutting off a revenue of nearly a half a million from the state every year.
