The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 13, 1899, Page 1

P VOLUME LXXXV—NO. 103 SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1899. PRICE FIVE CENT THE PULPIT RISES IN PROTEST OF THE CURSE OF INGLESIDE The clergymen of this city have seldom given an expression of their intense interest in a measure of great public moment such as was voiced last stand by their determination to kill the devastating scourge of the racecourse, once and for all, in this city. in every part of the city clergymen spoke in earnest pleading for the proposed ordinance. Every Christian creed was represented in. the .crusade. In support of a great public cause, in scathing condemnation of a great cvil that has been raised to the bad dignity of a public curse, creeds were forgotten and ministers of every denomination found a common ground in the defense of morality. night by ministers of the Gospel, who, as by a common impulse, denounced the terrible evil of horse-racing gambling, and called upon the Supervisors to The spectacle was as unusual as it was impressive. Tens of thousands of men, women and children were addressed and listened to the dark story of Ingicside as clergymen know it in disgraced men, dishonored women, corrupted children and wrecked homes. Picturing this story of the curse of the racecourse in San Francisco, these ministers of God called upon the Board of Supervisors to resist the temptations that may be held forth and, in making the new ordinance a law, carn the gratitude of all who seek the welfare of the city. This plea is made on the eve of the day when the Supervisors meet to confirm or dishonor their own action. In support of the law the Supervisors have clement of decency, morality and good government. The Supervisors will decide with their votes this afternoon under whose colors they wish to serve. In the course of his sermon last evening Rev. Dr. lander, pastor of the F' Lutheran Church, all admir an degrada when the pense of The evil ting begin make fast people who have the subject have any the magnitude ¢ gambling in our men and boys ma multitude of the pz poolrooms. Our prisons a of men who ascribe their fo gery, thefts and embezzlements to their infatuation fc: pool- room gambling. No form of gambling offers such tempta- tions, y fact that it requires so little money is why the first theft from employers is .. Superintendent Byrnes of New York City said: ‘We are sending men to prison right along on account of the Personally I know of homes in San Francisco oved and the lives of young men blighted in the hing schools of forgery and defaleation = B8 30 BRI O ORI O IS HIGH TIME TO KILL THE GIANT EVIL.” investig idea O8I The Rev. Dr. J. N. Beard, pastor of Grace Methodist piscopal Church, denounced with unqualified veheme night the giant twin eV bookmaking and pools The reve speaker upon the Supervisors to tain the action already so well taken an” to destroy the privi- leges of the gamblers. In sub- stance the v Sp: as fol- lows: “I have supposed that all right-thinking people, What- ever the or consistency on oth could agree that gambling en in its more phases, is evil and only t when it is elevated to gaudily @ ati-ally to debauch, not t women and chil- only dren it is time for public ntiment to assert itself. T have no sympathy with the mention ‘business’ in connection with all _this Rev. J. N. Beard, selling and bookmaking, which er make goods nor fac tate equitable exch | acquaintance with our present Boar om their stan as business men and from the se most of t occupy as heads of families, I cannot nd their official i vote to establish in our mbling, any OO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS ON TRIAL™” Rev. H. T. Shepard, pastor of Olivet Congregational Church, 3 g prayed last night that the Board rs should remain purpose to stamp of gambling and be true to their colors as servants of the public will. When his prayer was concluded he spoke v shall beanevent- e city of San Fran- sun shall ing those have in- anotk SI88 RO trusted the safety of our public morals will have had an op- bt portunity of lifting a curse from 2"; rengthening the 3€ meshes which entangle thou- = sands of our people in the throes ‘;}’ of degradation and despair. % “We shall watch ouir Board of =1 Sup s. They are our ser- o vants, and when the sentiment of the people shall have been made known to them they are bound to do i bidding. The wish of the ple is that the gambling incident to t horse racing at Ingleside shall be abolished, and to our city fathers we lock for the sustain- ing of the resolution recently introduced by Dr. Perrault. “I speak In words of love as 3 well as law. Wy Ve seen the vitals sapped from our hs, who have fallen from positions of confi- dence and of trust. We have seen our daughters descend to prostitu- tion 1 the fathers of our homes starve their offspring that they afekt of the Ingleside bookmakers. Under our own of lives have been blighited and homes depraved. Rev. H. T. Shepard tic LT SR SO OO SO O B e OB OO g8 # -3 8 8 b=t g8 ] g8 SRR AR N A AR W o 3 < p= g OO OO0 One of the most scathing denune raignments of the race course and terday by the. Rev. Father Mac- cf The reverend gentleman is subject and his words are worthy In part Father MacCorry spoke as It seems to me that one point at strated by The Call in its present that the race track as 1t is here and te no unqualified attack or in- A race course can be maintained principles. The cultivation of a is in itself commendable; and to the fleetest racer is quite as blame- grows good wheat—or to give a child. That is one way of stimulat- race. of risk, the sin begins where the doubt that with us the gambling proportions of a national calamity. there were seven million dollars a hundred thousana dollars chang- single d It is estimated that in sand hundred professional and ac the land. That means rapine, pro onal theft. Inci- five hundred people banded in homes and make paupers of our “To me there is no other human let its fire charge the blood and not lower, no cruelty at which it is Almighty that it will not dare. ing feagure of the vice; it is so piti- once its victim gets grappled by its 200N TR0 ORORORORORABORIRONG LORORORON “THE RACECOURSE HAS BECOME HACELDAMA—THE FIELD OF BLOOD.” Rev. Father;MassCorry ciations and most complete ar- its manifold evils was given yes- Corry of the Paulist Fathers of this thoroughly informed on the terrible of the most serious consideration. follows: least has been conclusively demon- discuestion of the gambling plague: now conducted is an unmitigated “Now in saying this there is in- discriminate assault upon the turf. along the lines of right and moral swift-hoofed horse, it seems to me, place a prize within the reach of less as to reward a farmer who cube of sugar to our best-conducted ing progress and developing our “But in racing as in other games gambling begins, and there is little spirit has closely approached the “In one year in New York City sacrificed at the poolrooms—fifty to ing hands at single race tracks in a this country there are three thou- gamblers scattered up and down professional plunder, professional dentally it means three thousand tematic warfare to wreck our children. passion so desperately cruel. Once there are no depths to which it will appalled, no threat of the Lord God “That to me is the most terrify- less, so merciless and efuel. that tyranny and well under way on the downward track, it scmetimes seems that man or devil cannot make him stop. “A gambler sees th against his marriage vow: that his deed$ are daggers in ' “e t sons have the taunt of their f;\(her'é debauchery thrown in_their faces: that his ‘daughters pa: with the stigma of a disreputable parent on their names. He clutches desperately at the landmarks of a Christian life. tries to stop. dissipation is making shipwreck of his home: that his 1 ‘rt of the, woman he has made his wife: that his life is an abiding perjury out into life An “apprecfation of it all breaks in upon him. He But the fire is in his blood and the madness in his brain—and it does seem sometimes that he simply cannot stop—the infatuation is so piti- less, so desperate and strong. But this I say, that all three h: Mind you, I say nothing against the horse, nothing against the turf, nothing against the tracks as such. ave been prostituted and abused until the word ‘Racecourse’ painted above the gates should better read ‘Haceldama’—that is to say, ‘The Field of Blood.” Any movement, then, that will save men’s souls from such disaster must needs be right. The racing in- terests have, I know, tremendous resources as potent arguments to prove the .present movement wrong. But never mind! One of the most stirrine con- that delivered last night by the Third Congregational Church. The pervisors in behalf of everything nance a law. In part the reverend “I have been asked, with other evils of the Ingleside racing track, church to the efforts now being the great spider of our city, which our social and business life. except for scientific purposes, but sensible thing to do with the Ingle- could do no better thing for the re- that to crush out its wicked life un- “Ingleside is a disgrace to the wrecker of homes, a despoiler of a rendezvous of the worst eiement bankruptc divorces, chicanery, dishonesty and the spirit of gam- No other city in the land per- ster to continue so long with such respectability. existing is conceived in the passion the thing is rotten through and city is damaging to the treme. h<'s It is self-condemned. It is by law. The Call of this city has reported victims of - Ingleside rooms, but The Call Lublished only pastor in the city could aéd to the racing business as the chief evil of “The ministers are ofien remind- uations, corrupted and poenniless daughters. If the rue sto and the public weal, as their stand and votes on the present question, I am sure, will tell. ORORORONG %O RORNVROROUVRORGRORNORONOLONON JONONINOLORONOLORORNONINON “CRUSH OUT ITS WICKED LIFE UNDER THE MUNICIPAL HEEL.” Rev. William Rader. * Ingleside were told i. would make a chapter of - We have much faith that the men at present in public office can well be trusted with our children’s demnations of the racing evil was Rev. William Rader, pastor of the reverend gentleman begged the Su- decent to make the proposed ordi- gentleman spoke as follows: clergymen, to say a word on the and to lend the support of this made by our Supervisors to control is weaving its nefarious web over “A spider is not to be controlled killed if poisonous; that is the only side race track. The Supervisors spectable portion of the community der the municipal heel. city, a dishonor to the State, a womanhood, an enemy to business, of society, a breeder of murders. clandestine meetings, financial ruin, bling. mits such a foul and vicious mon- brazen disrespect of law, decency “Down with it! Its excuse for for gambling. The whole object of through. Its influence upon the No defense can be made in its be- +a public enemy thus far protected recently published a long list of the track and of the downtown pool- a part of the bloody record. Every sensational evidence, brandin- the San Francisco. ed of the ruin -~ homes, loss of sit- husbands and ruined soas and 21 life which wc -1d horrify the city and compel the Supervisors at their meeting to-morrew night to put a lock which no man cot.d br ak with money or politics upon the gates of Ingleside, and every office po« oom ordinance downtown. . “I do not besitate to say th: ity and good order of our city. has been kicked ov eanction it with our hosp table laws. United States? ciety? e such a nuisance? Crush it out! Shame on us! would be compelled to enforce the the Ingleside evil, with its associated vlces, is the greatest enemy to the mor- I hope the Suj :rvisors will not scotch but kill the thing. It - the land. from State to State, and "~~m city to city, until at last we give it refuge and ‘Why should California be the garbage receptacle for the Why shouid San Francisco tolerate annualiy a horde of loafers who are the bloodsucker< of so- It is true that many remain here—in our prisons, as the court records show; but why sh :ld we tol- . “It is the clear duty of the people to speak, that the ramblers may not do all the talking. The contest is between the gamblers and the respectable portion of the community. sue is before us and we are to see what kind of metsl we have in our Supervisors. Let pulpits and churches be heard. The i “Therefore let public opinion reinforce thema. The Board of Supervisors is on trial. Let every mother who loves her sons and daughters, every merchant who would trust his clerk and every citizen who believes in municipal self-respect support the Supervisors in their first great battle with the worst element in the city, and earnestly work for the ultimate destruction of this disgraceful parasite of the State of California and the City of San Francisco.” SO ROR ORI IROORON TN ONORIRF R ONON g % : 5 The battle that will be fought to-day in the chamber of the Board of Supervisors will be one of the greatest ever lost or won in San Francisco. The gamblers of the racecourse and their allies, the blacklegs of the pool- rooms, have united to save bookmaking and poolselling from destruction in this city. These combined forces possess enormous influence. They want the proposed ordinance modified or action postponed. They have wealth and corrupt power to support their demand. e Opposed to them, and as solidly united, are all decent classes in the community. Merchants and workingmen, employes and employers, bankers, clerks, clergymeén, the press and the pulpit, are combined in earnest, per- sonal supportof the final adoption and operation of the prohibitory ordinance. SO0 DRLLICH Q0 QU R T ORI LORORVRIRIIIIIOLIORORRONOR G ROROLORORORORORVRORORGLO 8?&"“2 et p el et e R e AT e A TR T R K e L P R A e w T L PR mA wmt mi i witm i ma mi () & o . fe S =l R e B e R e el A e e T e e o 8 e SR el e o 0RO OO OORSORLUSOEIORORO OO “THE INFAMIES @ND CRIMES OF THE RACE TRACK."g SOOI OO I B O T O S R L 23OOSR R QRO OO OO SIS & Arrayed against the ordinance arc professional bribe takers and givers, gamblers and blacklegs. 0 OO ORORGROR ‘THE CURSE MUST BE DESTROYED IN THIS CITY.” g N : The Rev. John Sterhens, pastor of the Simpson emorial Methodist Episcop | Church, spoke eloquently and earnestly yesterday upon the great curse of the track and the necessity for its destruction. In part the reverend gentleman spoks as follows: “The gambling queStion has become = unusually prominent during the past week through a resolution passed to print by our Board of Supervisors. It aims at the eradi.~*" of poolroor and racetrack gambling within the confines of the city. This reso- lution comes up for fiaal con- sideration to-morrow. Its pas- sage will be iaost desperately sted by the fraternity. They claim jt means-‘the death of racing in San Francisco, for racing without gambling is a financial impossibility. Very well; let racing cease and the habitues of the track depart and our city will be well rid of these unsavory characters. “It is not astonishing our mu- nicipal authorities should take such a step as is proposed if they have the slightest regard for the welfare of the community whose affalrs they are elected to control. One can only marvel at the moral in- sanity of our State Legislature that rejected a very mild measure in- tended to grant relief from conscienceless harpies that prey upon the prosperity and happiness of our people. With amazing servility the ma- jority knuckled down to these corrupt powers who know so well tle po- litical ways that are dark and tricks that are vain. “Seneca said of ancient gambling places that they were houses not afraid of magistrates. Too long has this vice snapped its fingers at the authorities and defled the moral sentiment of the community. New Jer- sey, New York and Connecticut have driven the gamblers out, and through California’s open door they have come in droves to destroy our youth and corrupt our people's morals. “The history of their presence here is one of murder, suicide, embez- zlement and every kindred crime. The Superintendent of ™olice of New York City, who evidently thinks the soul of a young man is worth more than a fast horse, said: ‘It would be well to stop racing altogether. Actual experience has satisfied me that no form of gambling offers greater temptations to young men to take what is'not theirs.’ Senator Chauncey M. Depew declares ‘ninety per cent of the defalcations and thefts and ruin of youths among people who 'are employed in places of trust are due directly to gambling. I have come to believe that the com- munity which tolerates public gambling cannot have prosperity in busi- ness, religion in its churches or morality among its people.” Yet we as a city have meekly submitted to rest under this “curse. Ancient Egypt banished gamblers to the quarries. Let a long-suffering people arise now to declare that these ministers of crime must either amend their ways and turn to honest means of livelihood or take their departure, bag and baggage, from our midst.” g DRIRORORIRCO Rev. John Stephens. SRR R R S R e e e e A e R e e S R e e e el e e e e e e e OO0 IR OO O OO0 %0 Dr. Alexander N. Carson. in the Trinity Presbyterian Church, corner of Twenty-third and Capp streets, spoke last night in part as follows on the “unutterable iniquities, infa- mies and crimes” of the race- course: “We live in a city that in part supports two large racetracks for six or eight months in the year. Chicago and New York. each place much larger than San Francisco and Oakland to- gether, have only two months of racing. We are a city of gamblers imbued with a desire to make money easily and rap- idly, hence our two flourishing racecourses. I am told that often the poolmen here han- dle as much as $80,000 in one racing day, and that the quar- ter of a million dollars invested at Ingleside was all returned to the investors in two seasons. Think of $250,000 taken from the dupes, men, women and chil- dren, in two seasons. O Lord. how long will such conti. .e? “To-morrow the Board of Supervisors will vote to abolish the devil- ish evil. After its terrible arraignment of horseracing it cannot do less than sweep it out of this county for good. It is debauching manhood. womanhood and even childhood. “No poet has ever described. no painter has ever pictured, no:actor has ever represented the unutterable iniquities, infamies, crimes and agonies that attend the awful and infernal practices growing out of these racecourses. It is a perpetual outrage upon-every holy instinct and upon every feeling of humanity. From beginning to end there is not one redeeming feature in this deadly business. Occasionally some open atrocity takes place which finds voice and is heralded 'hrough the land. But how many thousands and tens of thousands of crimes are instigated by this foul spirit of hell which are never reported? Only the eye of God can see the woe and pain and sorrow and shame which is endured by their hapless victims. He will eventually blast and de- ° stroy the men who aid, abet and countenance this most iniquitous work. This is the business the State refuses to put a stop to, and thereby in a sense throws its protection about it. . “This is the business that would rule politics and with unlimited capital purchase venal politicians, dictate United States Senators, crush out men of responsibility and integrity, fight against the gospel of the son of God, trample beneath its unclean hoofs every high and holy am- bition of the human race, pull down from their lofty position statesmen, rulers and men of every grade in life and consign them to pauperism, degradation, crime and death. 2 “This is the business that would destroy our children, darken our homes and polute our land. Shall this curse devour forever? ‘How long, O Lord, how long?” o Rev. Dr. A. N. Carson.