The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-24
WHY WE FIGHT THE LOTTERY MO
NOPOLY.

New ORLEANS, October %, 1878.
TO the Editor Of the Democrat:
You have called upon the Democratic candi
dldates TO express their views upon the uues
Lottery Company. Very well. But the AFRO
aance Of your journal prompts me TO gugges
that i would be- well for you to explain to thu
''''''' '''''''' IS l'Si'S VIZ i'''0A DEMOCRAT.
The reasons of the DEMOCRAT for SO per
sstently and malioiously fighting the lottery
are to be found In almost every issue of the
paper during the last session of the Lcgisla-
t'lre. The reasons y (which our correspond
ent seems not to have heard Of or which his
luminous Intellect Is incapable OF com pre-
hending. were SO potent that they arrayed
nearly the solid Democratic delegation III the
last General Assembly, and have created
n powerful party in the city and State
against the Lottery Company: these reasons,
IN short, were 80 clear and convincing with
the public that they have caused that
company to resort to every species Of corrup-
ton and to expcnd in bribes and lawsuits fully
one hundred thousand dollars to maintain it.
SELF
We have no objections however to review
ing those reasons: indeed we will be pleased
to do SO in another article. But before we
recapituate the reasons alrendy presented by
us, we will furnisaa the voters OF New Orleans
and Of Louisiana with q new and most start
ling reason why that gigantic monopoly
should be destroyed.
| ,Rhe Odd Fellows Hall Convention. which
last week nominated candidates for the leg
islature from this city, published an address
which evaded my specific denunclation or
arraignment Of what we believe to DO one OF
the greatest evils and burthers Of the State
tho Louisiana Lottery Company. BY general
and direct appeals tho DEMOCRAT in vain at
tempted to elicit from these candidates an OK
preston Of views on this question. Hon D.
T. Kenner alone If his own accord responded
Determined 10 do all in our power to obtain
for the votn's of tho Democratic party an ex-
pAesston Of the views Of the candidates who
claimed their support and yet remained
silent, we sent representatives of tho DEMO
Graf to interview the nominees. The
interviews will be found in another column |
Several Of tho candidates expressed an I'M
Willingness and others a determination not to |
answer any question relative to the lottery,
on the ground that, II they expressed an opin-
ion adverse to that interest. Mr.. Howard
would send his retainers and his money into
their wards or districts and defeat them Sev-
erai OF the gentlemen who boldly spoke out
against the lottery declared, at the same time,
that it was impolitic for them to do so, on the
same grounds. They apprehend, when their
views arc known, that the money of the lot
terry and its power will be lavishly and I'M
used against them.
Now does any free man rpr1,irn q hot ter, <r |
stronger reason for making war on the Lot
terry Company? Eight years ago Charles r.
Howard announced that, If he were permitted
to turn his wheel for Il few years in New Or
leans he would rule the State. He has carried
his daring and impudent scheme to point
whore he controlled a Legislature with q DEM
ocratc majority; where hedictatos Democrat
lc policy, and where candidates of the Demo-
cratic party-the party of Jefferson, Jackson
md Madison; the party Of the constitution, of
civil liberty and the free ballot fear to openly
oppose his gambling monopoly, though they
know it to be one Of the most crushing evils in
the State.
Will any man tell us that such an institu-
zion ought not to be crushed out by the firm,
strong hand Of the peoples representatives
Jan any honest Democrat confront the free
people Of Louisiana and tell them that an in
'tituton which may awe into silence the rep
'esentatives OF the people and dictate the
7iews and sentiments they may utter has
7ested rights which may not be touched,
which are moro sacred than free
speech, free thought and tree action? We be-
ieve not. Whatever virtue or force there t
nay be in the doctrine Of vested rights, one i
r,rip iy,la | -,
hould guide their representatives, though it J
nay not the courts, In dealing with {
IN institution such as that which, t
n this city, threatens the free ballot and the 8
light OF the representative Of free people to ,
RELY speak to his constituency-and that {
rinciple Is, that no Legislature has right (
o make a market of our liberties. When O. {
monopoly becomes powerful enough to in c
uence and corrupt our politics and elections, il
hat doctrine, greater than that Of vested II
ights-the public good-requircs that It's c.
over should be broken, and broken by the n
Of the people. O.
Ii we had never presented other reasons "
ny this monopoly should be destroyed, the Il
esult of the interviews OF our representatives a.
18th the Democratic candidates for the Legis- +,
lture, should convince every man who is not h.
rlngster or spokesman, every man in a
hort who believes in Democracy and repub- o
can institutions, that it is dark and o.
aiming institution, to whose uprooting cl
very citizen of the State should lend a vigor- OF
is and helping hand. al
For the reason we have herein given, we
W to Democrat" We are $50 persis- r.
nifty and maliciously fighting the Lot be
ry.' In another issue we will review the al
asons we have already given for instituting Sc
ID carrying on this fight, and then leave it al
the conscience and self-respect of any man
no presumes to call himself Democrat tic
he will vote for a candidate COM m
Tilted to the support of the Louisiana its
ottery Company or to opposition to the re- Sc
al OF its rotten charter bought from re- SIS
cant Democrats and gangs Of robber ne 50
oe7 Who composed the General Assembly &c