The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-04-20
LOTTERIES.

tickets We have before us the scheme of the
celebrated Havana Lottery. There are twenty-five
thousand tickets at $40 each-making S5O0,000
Then if man were to buy all the tickets and draw
all the prizes, he would lose just $500 900 that is
he would pay the lottery men just that much for the
fun of the game, and that is the principle OF the
| whole of them. nf4r
Now, the doctrine of chances is just certain as
anything else. That is, if one man should buy
tickets in that lottery until he had spent $500 000
he would lose just 500, 900. He might draw
100000 the first time; but he would in the end
come out loser just two-ffths of al the money he
put n The misfortune is, that not having the
money to keep it up, he is liable to lose all his
ney before he draws anything; and perhaps still
greater misfortune is that if in the early part fhs
career he draws prize, he will come to the con-
clusion that he is a lucky man, and will not only
spend what he has drawn, but all that he can
get for the balance of his life.
It is on account of the certainty of the operation
of the doctrine of chances, that they are able to
draw these lotteries so often. Swan or Don Rod
rigucz advertises lottery to be drawn in month.
There is prize of fifty, sixty, or hundred
thousand dollars, and others of smaller size. If
you will examine the number of tickets to be sold
and the amount of the prizes, you will find that if
the tickets are all sold the prizes do not amount to
more than about three-ffths of the money. But
the tickets are never sold yet the drawing goes
Then how are the prizes to be paid Why, out of
your money of course. Take the scheme which is
now before us There are twenty-five thousand
tickets at $40 each this makes $500 00O the prizes
amount to 100000 Now, suppose half the tick
cts are sold-that is $3.50 900; but the whole $780,
600 is to be drawn. Well, you have half the tick
ets-the lottery man has the other half. His half
of the tickets will draw onehalf of the prizes yours
will draw the other half But you have put in
S250,0O0; lie has put in nothing. You drawSl5O,-
900, and so does he. He pays you and has $780,
900 of your money left to pay towards the $780,
600 which he drew. .....
Now whether he sells the whole of the tickets or
half, fourth or tenth of them, is matter of
very little consequence to him. He is just GER
tain of two fths of all the money he receives if
you were just to hand him SO and tell him to give
you back Sc oft and keep the other four.
It is this which makes lotteries as at present
conducted so fatal. If they could not draw until
all the tickets were sold, it would be long time
between them; but they can draw every month, and
they can make big prizes as well as little ones,
There is only one thing to be guarded against.
We have said that his half of the tickets will draw
half the prizes. If you could have access to the
books of these lottery men, you will find that in
series of drawings he has drawn prizes, both in
number and amount, precisely in proportion to
his unsold tickets but just for one lottery it may
Then if he has no funds on hand he must be
full not to draw until he has sold tickets enough to
pay the large prize.
Now what is the remedy for the evil of lotteries?
The evil is this A man advertises lottery to be
drawn in month, with prize of $4,000; tickets
$40 each 10000 tickets at SO each make $780,
900 the prizes all amount to 100000. Men who
want to get rich, who hard pressed for money
think there is chance and they spend ten dollars
or fifty hundred it is the $4,000 prize that
seduces them. IF out of the 10000 tickets the
lottery sell 10000, he is safe, and he will
clear $4,000 by the operation. Now, what is the
remedy? Why, to repeal the laws against lotte-
ries. Men will gamble, until they get better than
they are now But how is the repeal of the laws to
remedy the evil. BY removing the temptation, at
least by diminishing it. A hundred men will buy
ticket ina lottery where there is $50,
900 prize, to who will buy lottery with
$4,000 prize. Now, men make lotteries, and they
retain twoffths Of all the money. Repeal the laws
and others will engage in it, and competition will
reduce the profits They cannot make the prizes
so large or draw so ofton. The profits will be so
reduced that they cannot afford to advertise and
the thing will die out.-Cozun,Jus Garner Stone.