The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-07-26

vertisementS Tor l0tterleS, or any Otner tnihS
on the same principle. Now, sir, l am in
favor of the proposition as suggested by the
Senator from Maine, the chairman of the
Committee on Post. Offices and ost-Roads
Lotteries, call them by what name you please,
when legalized are legalized gambling, and
they can only be legalized in States that are
in favor of gambling; and wherever com
munity is 80 demorslized that they are in
favor of gambling, they will then legalize lot.
teries, and not till they are so. | think it
not only the right and province but the duty
of Congress to prohibit the passing through
the mails of anything that advertises lot.
terry or that pertains to lottery tickets. Oi
all the swindles that are known in this coun.
try, this lottery business is the greatest
The New York lotteries that have been in
vogue, and some of which were legalized and
some not, were the greatest frauds in this
country and the Baltimore lotteries that the
Senator from Maryland spoke of are equally
such. So of the Louisville lotteries that l
know something about
Mr.. Whyte-Allow me to correct the
Senator. We had no Baltimore lotteries
since 1859.
Mr. Marey-Mr. President, am mem
Der of the Post Office Committee. l regard
this lottery system as one of the greatest
curses that ever was inflicted upon the Amer
lean people. 1t fosters and encourages vice;
it is running many Of the poorer portions OF
the community. In the State in which l
live we have a constitutional provision which
prohibits lotteries, and yet there are gift en-.
terprises of one kind or another scattered all
over that State endeavoring to evade the law
and obtain by false and fraudulent means the
money of the people.
The Constitution of the United States con-
fers upon Congress the power to establish
post-ofices and post roads" That is not
for the benefit of one State, but for the ben
eft of the whole people as one great Federal
Union. For the benefit of the whole peo-
pie these post-oAices and post-roads are es.
tablished. Upon logic, if the Congress Of
the United States has the power to prevent
the passage of obscene books, pamphlets,
and pictures through the mails, in like man
ner it has the power to prevent any other
thing which is immoral in its tendency. If
it be true that you can permit lottery tick.
ct to pass from one post-ofice in State to
another post-ofice in the same State, the in
evitable logic of that would permit an OBJ.
scene book, pamphlet, or print to pass from
the post.ofice of one State to another post
office in the same State. Hence the whole
of it turns on the same general theory, that
you cannot use this common carrier estab-
lished by the Constitution for the benefit Of
the whole people for any grossly immoral
purpose. We had that question before the
committee, as the President of the Senate
very we'll knows, in regard to that very
matter.
1t may be that I got too far on this SUBJ
ject of lotteries but l regard them as per-
feet curse, and l believe in bringing the
strong hand of the law down and stopping
them, and do not believe it is in violation
of any constitutional right; because be-
lieve the power which is conferred upon Con-
gresa I" 70 estahliab spoet.of6eas -and post
roads " was designed to make them for the
benefit of the whole people of the country.
Mr.. Whyte-No man has ever set his face
against the sale of lottery tickets more
thoroughly than I have. l was on the very
first committee in the Legislature of my State
that broke it up. 1t was system that had
existed for years and years iu the State Of
Maryland; it was supported by some of the
very best men in the State of Maryland
The trustees and managers of it were among
the very best citizens of Maryland, and they
at that time saw no impropriety in the sale
of lottery tickets. 1t was game Of chance
conducted upon scientific principles; and
when the Senator from Illinois charges thai
the lotteries as conducted in Baltimore were
frauds, he does not know what he is talking
about-that is all have to say on that ques
tion-because they were conducted by man
ayers appointed by the State Of the highes
character, who controlled the drawings thai
were made upon combination that was per
fectly scientific and where there was NJ
; cheating whatever. But the game was {
, game of actual, pure chance, just as at you
fairs you put your hand in "grab.bag,
and pay for taking out all that your hart
can include within it. 1t is a system which
;; ought not to be encouraged, because on th'
| top of it has been ingrafted another misera
BILE, vicious system known as the policy sys
r tenn, whereby negroes and poor people al
e over this land have been swindled by polio.
dealers, whose swindling transactions ar
t based upon the drawings of the lottery.
e ! am not defending lotteries here; nothing
was further from my thought when ros
t in this Chamber on the bill. rose in be
half of people of States that choose to legal
s ize lotteries-a people who choose to believ
). that il is not immoral-tbat it is not degraG
8 ing-that it is not injurious to public moral
=. to allow lotteries to exist. rose in beha
of the people of State that entertain sue
: ideas as those to speak for them and to sa
that Congress ought not to interfere to pr'
D vent the parties authorized within the COZ
|. fines of a State sending lottery circulars II
d gally within the State to other post-offict
s throughout that State. That is all 1 rot
e for, in the interest of people within the State
e and only in their interest. Personally hav
IS none my people have no interest in thi
o matter. 1t is violation of the law of m
G State to sell lottery ticket, or to sell
IS ticket based upon lottery known as "po
y ICY" 1t is against our law; men are pur
j. ished with the severest penalties-a thol
IS sand dollars fine and imprisonment in tf
e Jail, for selling lottery ticket or polio
# ticket within my State.
;; Mr.. Logan-I merely desire to say in r.
|. ply to the Senator from Maryland and b
}. reference to me about my becoming so mo
y allied, as he calls it, that am little su
# prised at his position. He admits that 10
It teries are immoral in their tendency and
}. fact, and that while they existed in Bait
, roora thau were 90 demoralizinp that b