New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-11
TIE LOTTERY as AN INDUSTRIAL PUR.

Some Of our contemporaries were o,
Sunday emblazoned with placard settins
forth the attractions of golden drawing
Of the Lottery Company.
| One Of our contemporaries has, how
ever, devoted several columns to vindi.
eating this system of chance. The defense
is not made, that we can see, on the
ground that lottery dealing adds to the
productive forces or industries of society.
It's justified on the ground of precedent,
and George Washington's signature to a
lottery scheme is produced with the same
authority as might be accorded to the bill
OF sale for human being Had the
writer been sufficiently at home in Ameri-
can history he might have adduced the far
more direct example of Mr.. jefferson,
who, under the pressure of poverty
which embittered his declining years, not
only asked a legislative permission to dis.
pose Of his property by lottery, but
added some argument why such a mode
OF raising money might be justified. The
privilege was not, however, granted him.
One of the journals directs the follow
ing gentle satire against the Puritanism
wAic- restricts suca enterprises in Amer
lea. On ancient opinions it says:
So thought all statesmen and churchmen
up to q comparatively recent period, and
80 they think now in every civilized coun-
try, save the English speaking ones.
We may admit the Latin race approve
such mode of raising revenues from
want and ignorance. The English speak
ing people, however, deem it a duty to
protect the citizen from any unequal pro-
portion between contribution and returns
Suppose there should be sold hundred |
thousand tickets per week at twenty-five
cents each. This would amount annually
% million and one-third dollars. De-
1uctlng one-half this sum for prizes paid
'ut and expenses of sale, and there would
emaln of the sum received between six
md seven hundred thousand dollars.
This sum, or whatever may be the differ
nee between the amount paid in by the
'eople and returned in the shape of
rizes and the service and expense of
gencies, would be the tribute levied upon
opular industry
We by no means question the right of
len to risk their substance upon
ae uncertainties of enterprises of any
ind. Society has often derived
reat advantage from such experiment
Il undertakings; but where the author
y OF law is required to give an exclusive
ght to conduct any particular mode of
nance, and when any special mode of
nance lays such tax on industry as has
zen suggested, it is the duty of English
'eaking people to deny the sanction of
W to the imposition of such tax. 1t
the policy Of just government to pro- ]
ct its citizens as far as possible against
Q temptation to invest in enterprises
aich at last merely give them chance A
regain part of their own money.
It is not an uncommon thing to hold
e Republican party responsible for all
e restitution of our city. It is true the
res to govern one-fourth of the people m
Louisiana resident in the Democratic VI
= are nearly double those of governing 4,
whole Republican State, but if a con. ~
button by the citizens of an amount
re or less, for which they get nothino
;ept lottery blank tends to contribute
that aggregate Of restitution, such a 4
il on the need or greed Of the people
,uld be taken into the estimate of The
1ses Of restitution.