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to ignore the fact that seven of every ten
of our sister states have similar provisions
in their constitutions.
Mr. Chairman, those who disregard his-
tory are condemned to relive it. We are
determined that our children will not have
to relive the scandals and buying of legis-
latures, the hoodlums and criminal or-
ganization control that characterized the
history of Maryland's lotteries and the
lotteries of other states.
THE CHAIRMAN: You have one half
minute, Delegate Chabot.
DELEGATE CHABOT: We are not vot-
ing on an academic philosophical question.
The question clearly is of constitutioiial
importance. If you want to have lotteries,
you vote for the minority, if you want to
continue the prohibition on lotteries, vote
yes to sustain the Committee.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Dukes.
DELEGATE DUKES: Mr. Chairman, I
yield seven minutes to Delegate Roger.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Roger.
DELEGATE ROGER: Mr. Chairman,
ladies and gentlemen, I support the mi-
nority report recommending constitutional
silence on lottery because, one, it means a
deterrent to crime; two, it may be a source
of income; and, three, it is a prohibition
that does not belong in the state consti-
tution.
The gambling instinct is universal and
cannot be stamped out. Most of us play
poker, pinochle, bingo or something. It may
be far better to have governmental lot-
teries, honestly run, than to leave them in
the hands of racketeers.
Yes, nearly everyone does a little gam-
bling1. The Sunday Sun, November 12, head-
lined this story:
"Laurel, Maryland. Maryland's politi-
cal leaders acted like timid and unsuc-
cessful gamblers yesterday at the Wash-
ington, D. C., International Race Course.
Most of them bet on Damascus to win.
The favorite came in second. Among
those present were Mayor-elect D'Alesan-
dro, Senators Tydings and Brewster,
Judge Finan, and Attorney General
Burch. Some bettors were taking little
chance. One man was asked by a friend
what horse he had bet on and he replied,
'You name the horse, we probably have.' "
Now this is gambling, but it is out in
the open. The poor man, the laborer who
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only wants to bet 50 cents or a dollar on
something does not have time to take off
from his work and go to the races. He does
not have a car, or if he has a car, he does
not have the money to park his car. He
cannot bet $2 on every race. Yet, if he bets
50 cents on tickets, this man's government
would make him an outlaw, brand him a
criminal, and characterize what he does as
dark and evil.
However, if he gives urg-e to his gam-
bling instincts, the same as Senators Tyd-
ings and Brewster, Judge Finan, Attorney
General Burch and Mayor-elect D'Alesan-
dro, his government condemns him and be-
comes an unwitting partner in fostering
vice, corruption and crime. This lottery
that collects $72 million a year for under-
world barons also corrupts and enmeshes
our police and office holders. Crime begets
other crimes in terms of drug addiction,
murder, theft, fraud and prostitution.
Is illegal gambling the only danger in
lottery and numbers? No. Today, this
money is being felt in government, not in
just lowly ward heelers, but in well-organ-
ized, well-educated, well-oiled political ma-
chines. Fellow delegates, they represent you
today. They are already electing themselves
and others of their ilk to high places. It is
a nationwide pattern. The lotteries are an
untapped source of wealth, creating an un-
controlled, unchecked web of crooked
Midases.
There are other dangers. Racketeers are
infiltrating legitimate businesses. At least,
President Johnson thinks so. He regards it
as an emergency. On June 29, 1967, he
asked for the recruitment of business and
community leaders for a war on crime. He
felt it must be brought to life by the con-
structive support of an informed and par-
ticipating public.
The economic cost of crime is $25 billion
a year. People everywhere are concerned
with the racketeer who is putting big money in big business and making it look
legitimate.
Did we not learn a lesson from prohibi-
tion? Let us leave out of our constitution
this stumbling block so that our children
may not have to fall over it or even have
to go around it.
Here in Maryland, our cooks, barbers and
factory workers are playing ,$200,000 a
day on lottery, just like the race track-
gamblers — trying to get something for
nothing. This is $72,000,000 a year that we
do not tax. Instead it goes to increase our
tax burdens in terms of crooked police, vice
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