Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-11-11
DAILY DEMOCRAT.
Taking &c Chnnces.iiCf Era.
uerprlsep.-- Bogus Petroleum

/ A4AbnX e unnecessarily IsIs
serprlsep--- bogus Petroleum
Sclaesnes-Stnte Lotteries.
The amount Of the bsreface public sw ~
ding perpe.rated annually at the expense
of the intelligent people of these United
States, if correctly ascertainsd. mist reach
an appalling sorn total. Especially since
thu close u the war, have confidence oper-
a,ors feurished all over the land. Many
thousands OF our brave soldiers hal 10
sooner reached their homes. honorsblv as
, chatgel after years of bard and perious
service, with tie poor rittance Of pay a.
lowed them in Their pockets, than they were
sbeset by sharpers ~ every turn. Oil-well
schemes were plentiful as black berries, each
promising fortunes TO those who would in
vest; and myrsds OF poor fellows Who es-
capped the dangers OF the battlefield and
the horrors of captivity, were heeced OF
their hard won greenbacks by specious OPP
orators in "undeveloped' oil territory
which 10 still. and will remain till Gabrers
trumpet sounds, undeveoped, because
there is not, and never wss any oil about
it, except on the tongues OF this eloquent
con6dsnce men who had it to sell.
And then there were gift enterprises
with sounding names, and wearing the sa-
cred mantle Of charity, starting up in every
town. Probably the nearest ofail possible
scoundrelsm, WAS that which adopted
schemes OF this kind. appealing TO the holi
est impulses CT human nature, as Q means
Of filling the pockets of unprincipled advet-
iurers. Millions Of dollars were updcab.-
eddy drawn from the people during the last
year by confidence men engaged IN scores
of charitable Gift enserprses-the adveF-
tisemenis of which were 70 be found in ey-
cry newspaper OF note throughout the land,
and too often countenanced by the names
Of innocent gentleman OF responsibility who
were used as stooi pigeons by the adrolt
and utterly constituencies managers but
the gifts described in such gorgeous terms
in the Advertisements, were, OF course, ney-
, er seen by the victims.
| And il is . singular evidence OF the strong
propensity Of people to take even the most
desperate chance, where there is an Appsr-
ent possibility Of great gains, that-in spite
OF the often repeated exposures OF the utter
woTthlessness OF these schemes, and the
suppression Of them by the authorities
there are still men to be found ready to risk
.heir money in them. Only month ago. a
concern Of this KIDD, pretending to be for
the bene6t Of soldiers orphans, was broken
up by the police At Columbus, Ohio, after
It's managers had succeeded in pocketing,
heaven only knows, how many thousands
Of dollars and, within the present week,
another gang Of scoundrele, practcing tho
same game, Was squelched in New York.
There 10 still another variety Of conf
dence operators, we'll enough known TO
newspaper readers, but who find among the
unsuspecting innocents OF the rural dis
tricts an inexhau ,tiblc placer, which they
do not fail to work With great industry. Mr..
Shocks. calling himself the agent OF some
| established lottery, writes to some rural
gentleman, inclosing lottery ticket, which,
he SAYS, has drawn two or three hundred
| or thousand dollars. IL rural gentleman
will send Shocks ten dollars. the price Of
the ticket, he will send forthwith the
amount Of the piize-Snook's only objec,
being to secure rural gentleman's influence
in selling other tickets, which may possibly
not draw prizes, and this influenza is spec
tally stipulated for in the letter. Rural
gentleman must, as soon as he receives the
money, tell all his friends that he dew il
on ticket sold him by Mr.. Shocks, the u
right and gen.lemany agent, &c. II our
rural friend swallows the bait and sends the
is surprised. very naturally, after a while to
find that the enterprising Shocks forgcts 10
return the amount of the prize and after
irui less inquiry for that person through the
post OIL e, or otherwise, the victim makes
up his mind that all lotteries are swindles
ihis conclusion 10 not wholly just for reg
ulsrly established lotteries do not do bust
ness in the manner adopted BY our supposi
r.. 4
applied to q regular lottery office. he would
have learned the nature Of the swindle, and
been fully informed of tie precise chances
which those concerns had to offer him.
As " have said, the propensity many
people to take chances in lltteres is almost
unconquerable. The lottery business itself
is q very old one. tn believed to he Exc |
stme other specimens Of !inesse. of Italian |
origin. The first government lotteries were
established by the Genocse. for the purpose
of adding to the revenues Of the Republic
Tie first lottery in England appears 10
have been drawn in 1862, and the profits
were devoted 70 the repairs Of harbors and
public works.
In the early part oil this century TIE State
lottery had become M established lnstilu-
ton in England, and in many Of our Amer
lean Commonwealths. On the continent Of
Europe most of the Governments have used
lotteries up to quite recent period, As |
regular branch Of the revenue system. and
they still survive, in foil viFor, in Rome |
aud some cf the German States. We believe. !
II England they were abolished in 1926 /;
and in this country they are prohibited bv |
al the States except two-kentucky and |
Missouri In these States the business j |
consol dated under the Joint management
Of France, Morris 4 CO., and Murray, Eddy I
1 Co.. whose central Office is in Covington, /
Kentucky. corner OF Fourth and Scott SITS,
where ali drawings take place. These gen
temer, according 10 law, have deposited in |
tie State Treasury ample security in State |
bonds for the payment OF all pfizss, and |
for The honest and fair conduct o. the busi-
ness.
The theory upon which lotteries as State |
institutions were first adopted. was the |
spirit Of climbing the disposition to deal |
in chances-was inherent 10 human nature;
AMI thit it was better that the public au.
thorities should regulate that spi,it, and
make il contribute 70 the revenue of the |
State, guaranteeing fair dealing TO the PEG
pie, than TO leave them To be swindied By |
irresponsible private adventures. Ii the le-
ga. prohibition Of lotteries, which now pre-
walls IN most Of the States, cannot be better
enforced than they have been OF late against |
the gift enterprise and similar conf
dence swinoies. sensible people will be apt
- conclude that the old idea was not, a.
ter Gil, so far wron; and that, il lotteries
are an evil, It would be more satisfactory
to bave them regulated and made ameuabie |
10 the law OF fair dealing than to nut the |
people Al the mercy ofaudaccus operators,
who sell tickets. but never draw prizes.
aui utterly defy the law as dead letter. |
At all events as above stated, the only
legally authorized lotteries in the United |
States are the Consolidated kentu Nv and |
Missouri State Lotteries above mentioned.
The drawing Of these concerns are probab-
" as iair as any thing Ct the kind can be
and IRE under the supervision OF authorized
Commissioners Of the States