The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-28
THE LOUISIANA LOTTERY.
PHILADELPHIA Times, |

Louisiana is now a free agent, and If she
chooses to submit herself to the foul embBce
of gambling monopoly it is her own bust
ness, and she may enjoy the disgrace and the
profits of shame to her hearts content with
out fear of interference from any quarter. 1t
concerns every other State in the Union how
ever to see that neither Louisiana nor any
person or corporation acting In her name does
not corrupt the whole country by the inroads
| of the lottery concern upon communities in
which this worst form of swndling has been
outlawed and until recently seemed well nigh
eXterminated. Yet this grand scheme of fraud
and corruption under the name of the Louisi-
ana State Lottery, is paraded and pulled TO-
day In our own and every leading city In the
North and West Otherwise reputable news
papers are acting as prOcurers Tor the concern
and their victims are numbered by thou
sands, every one Of whom contributes to the
support of man named Howard in New Or
leans, who has in this way grown so rich and
powerful that he is playing the role OF Tweed
arpet-baggers, unless something can be
done to undermine his well-built structure
of fraud. For nearly two years he has
controlled legislation in Louisiana when
ever his interests We're involved. Two
newspapers there exist but to do his
bidding. An act of the Legislature
makes it a crime, punishable by fine or i'm
| prisonment, for any man to trespass upon the
gambling privileges of the Louisiana Lottery
Company and virtually denies the accused
police magistrates the power to try and final
ly decide all such cases. There are men in
either branch of the General Assembly who
represent Howard rather than any legsla-
tive district. These own the solid Republican
vote and can always command enough Dem
ocrats for a combination that will effect their
purpose
Every Northern community we repeat, is
taxed to support this gambling monopoly. 1t
is not enough to dismiss the matter with the
old saying that a fool and his money are soon
parted. Theoretically nothing can be truer
than that any man who in these days invests
money In lottery ticket is q fool and Is not
likely to learn wisdom until his fingers are
badly burned. Practically, however, many
worthy people, with suspicious lulled by the
glamor of great names and with the inordi-
nate desire OF every man to get something for
nothing Quickened by the announcement that
somebody has drawn great prize, are buying
lottery tickets every day If the young gam
bier loses he tries again and again, in the
vain hope that luck will turn in his favor
finally gambling becomes second nature. Few
OF us realize how much money is spent in this
way. Some of the greatest fortunes acquired
in this country are the harvest OF lottery gam
bling; but, be it observed, they came from
running lotteries. not from trying to beat the
game. No faro dealer or card gambler OF any
kind has percentage SO large as the lottery
you lose, nine times out of ten: We want to
see this business broken up, and shall spare
no effort to expose its absolute vicousness.
The first step in that direction would seem to
be the concentration of public opinion
against the newspapers that prostitute
their columns for the advancement of
the Louisiana, and Kentucky swindles.
II their conductors are not amenabIe
their readers the law must step in and call
them to account. Our own statute would
seem to be broad enough to cover such cases.
The penalty is Imprisonment not exceeding
two years and a fine not exceeding $1,000. Let
that penalty be enforced and the lottery
nuisance will be abated so far as this State is
concerned, although few povertystrieken
newspapers may die.