The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-28
4 ggw AorGMEvr AGAINST LoTrERiEs



SERGEANT Beney Of The MAYOR ofcc has just return
=. from months tour IN eleven southern States ON
iiery hunting expedition lie brings back much useful
information relative 10 the exact condition Of Lotteries IN
The SOUTH and has received every encouragement nom
Governors district attorneys and other persons IN author
~ AS 10 the prospect of finally eStrpatng the whole
lotteFy business Ia the United states.
All the lotteries In the Union at the present time
waited In the South though about threcfonrths OF their
o6ts are derived from the North and West These in
tutions arc srIbuted as follows Maryland 49, Whose
charter expires the LIST OF April 1859 Kentucky,
Missouri, / Delaware, Georgia, l. The charters OF
an hut one OF these lotteries expire in about three years
The southern people must not be regarded as ustfying
~ approyipg of lotteries Not has been chartered
inoe 1887 anl there are stringent laws against lot
es in al the southern States but two The lotteries
witch are now doing business in States where they
prohbitod working by virtue OF their vested rights
and will cease exist when their charters run out The
rncpnl operations Of The lotteries being ia the North
be southern people have personally little reason 20
an Of the and 1t is only recently that the attention
~ governors district attorneys aud Others Mt the South
has been called 10 the great extent of the evil which is
inflicted On other portions OF tho county and those gen
tencn arc to be commended for the willingness which
they express cooperate in pning down all future at
p to legaliae lotteries and TO enforce the laws against
ten now on the statute books
In most of the southern States lottery charters
originally granted to colleges schools bridge companies
andemes &c. for The purpose OF raising funds TO the
extent OF from 81 600 to Sl0o0 This privilege was
greatly abused Lotteries which were empowered to draw
a scheme OF few Thousand dollars sometimes drawing
schemes amounting "a millions There are few lotteries
in the United States which conform to the laws or TO the
terms Of their charters but It is extremely ditcult to
detect their evasioDs, and everybody North rs well
South knows how hard it is to obtain the convictions
against powerful mon yed influence ike that which the
lotteries can Weld.
Some of the lotteries are conducted gigantic scale
One of them expends about $500 900 yearly in advertising
and other expenses draws 500 schemes and issues
AZ n, tho NJ flu Ila Ia
al amount Of schemes published by adj the lotteries in
tue United States is probably not less than $500 zoe geo
The popretors profess to distribute all of this vast
anouht In prizes but it is supposed that not $40
009 900 actually paid out Not more than one-thrl
Of the whole scheme is printed and of that about
oneeighth Is sold, average making the receipts
from scheme of $500 900 about So 000 of which the
popretos receive per cent clear rest go
ing to agents and to deay expenses Most lotteries issue
scherlc every day and the profits pretty uni
form and steady it will be readily that the business
pacs enormous dividends.
The Lotteries do not pay much large prizes as
they used to. Years ego prizes averaging from 600
70 $4,000 frequently Sold and the lottery business
then conducted with comparative honesty but OF
late years large prizes few and far between although
the number of purchasers is much larger than be-
fore, and is rapidly increasing During the last year the
largest prize issued S35, 900. The prizes now gen
orally sold win not average than SIS 900 each In
American lotteries the capital prize is generally not only
not sold but is not printed in hundred times
The lotteries IN this country are now flushed with power
and will be made stronger by the combination of
oil of them except one in Kentucky and one in Della
ware in the hands OF noted lottery and policy dealer in
this city, Unless strong efforts made In the South to
regulate the lotteries existing there, and to prevent
the recharteng Of them the mischief resulting there
fo;n will rapidly increase, year after year
Sergeant Berney entered upon his mission ut the sg-
geStion and wit the approval Of the mayor and the COM
isoncrs OF police. The lottery evil is Of the worst
which afic this city and it is important that police
authorities should exert themselves to root out the pest
for the sake of citizens well Of the whole
country There at least four lottery schemes drawn
daily in different portions Of the United States which are
all sold in this city The daily sales will amount to not
less than 81, oOOof which the managers receive prob,-
bly, about $500 The prizes amount about quarter
OF the scheme. Dependent the lotteries, and more
perncous than they is the policy business which reaches
the magnificent dimensions of about So 900 a day
The policy tickets vary in price from cent to one
hundred dollars, and find customers mostly among the
poor ignorant and snperstitious part of population
With the downfall Of lotteries the policy business must
cease to exist