The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-17
DESTROY IT'S POWER.

Il
| bill for the repeal of tho charter Of the Lou
| isiana State Lottery. The substitute repeats
the Infamous acts Nos. 9 and 10 OF 1874, the
charter granted the Lottery In 1863, and
prohibits the sale of all lottery tickets In this
State under heavy penalties. The bill is made
the special order for o'clock to-day.
| There is no doubt that this bill will pass the
House by large majority, and we trust that
It will meet with no opposition from the Dem
ocratic side Of the Senate. The Legislature
has promptly obeyed the will Of the people In
calling a constitutional convention. I'm
doubtedIy there was a measure of sentiment
| In the demand for such convention, but It's
general and Irresistible power grew out Of the
| necessity for the reform of abuses I'm the gov
ernmental system and the destruction of the
power Of the rings and monopolies which have
for SO many years dominated our politics.
What then Is the first measure which
should succeed the passage Of the act calling
q convention
Undoubtedly the repeal of the charter Of
the Louisiana State Lottery. IF the Leglsla-
ture should adjourn without breaking the
back Of this powerful, INSCRIPTIONS and now
desperate monopoly, that body will incur the
responsibility OF having called a convention
and left the substantial interests Of the State
to engage In this great city, and not unlikely
in the parishes for the lottery has invaded
even the country-with the most powerful
best organized and trained foe that a free
people ever encountered In an effort to reform
civil abuses.
If the Legislature fails TO repeal the char
ter Of the Lottery Company, that institution
will go into the canvass In this city TO control
the election Of delegates to the convention In
Its own interest and in that Of other rings and
monopoles, which will naturally ally them
selves with it; and many thousands Of dollars
will be spent here to elect delegates to the
convention who will do their best to defeat the
great reform measures for which the conven-
ton has been called.
III 1t was the duty Of the Legislature TO call
a constitutional convention; Ii the taxpayers.
business men and industrial classes Of Lou
isiana depend upon convention to relieve
them from the insufferable burdens under
which they have labored for ten years. II the
purpose of the call for convention is TO as
semble together the most patriotic. intel-
gent and dlsintcrested men Of the State who
will seek to construct an organic law in the
interest Of the people and under which all
monopolies and rings will be paralyzed. then
is 1t the solemn and most sacred duty Of the
Legislature. which has assumed the high but
proper responsibility Of calling that conven-
ton, to use all Of It's legitimate power to strike
down and destroy an influence which every in
telligent man In this city knows will enter the
canvass with money and agencies for the pur-
pose OF electing men as deega tes whose sole
and earnest object will be to thwart every
single object for which the convention has
| been called.
| The interests OF the merchants of New
Orleans; the interests Of the planters and
farmers Of the State the interests Of the
mechanics, property. holders and laborers Of
louisiana require that this Legislature be-
fore 1t adjourns, shall repeal the charter Of
the Louisiana Lottery Company. and thus
prevent 1t from expanding, during the next
sixty days, It's vast corruption fund to control
| the large representation this city will have In
the constitutional convention.
Some Of our friends from the country
parishes find it difficult to believe that this
| monopoly has the power and INSCRIPTIONS
disposition with which we have charged it.
| But when we tell them that it's profits amount
| to million dollars per annum over and
above Its legitimate expenses. its briberies
and frauds and Its pay to informers, spies
and newspapers, they must understand
| that its wealth Ia not less than we
have represented 1t. As to It's character and
influence In politics, 1t Is true that it CON
| tributed In every canvass from 1868 to that
| Of 1873 to the Radical campaign fund. The
Radicals, who were robbing the State
under Warmoth and Kellogg, were sustained
by its contributions. In one Of the elections
prior to 1876 the head OF the concern ordered
all his army Of employees to vote for Dibble
for one of the district iudgships. There has
never been a Radical Judge or recorder In
New Orleans who has not been the subservi-
ent tool Of the Lottery managers. They
owned the majority of the late Supreme
Court and the local United States judiciary
have not escaped their communicating infIu-
ence. Last year the efforts of this company
to override the decision Of Recorder Milten-
berger, protecting free citizen of Louisiana
from a degrading incarceration under act
No. Of 1874. brought the courts and
sheriffs OF New Orleans into collision, and
and bloodshed on our streets. At the
opening Of the great campaign of 1876 the
head of the Lottery Company declared
that he intended to make "his people"
vote for Packard He contributed largely to
the Packard compaign fund and bet largely
on the election OF Packard and Hayes The
company never faltered in its fealty to the
Radical administration of this State until it
became evident that the reign OF thieves was
approaching its end, whereupon it Topped
over to our side and rendered Its cor
ruption fund to the winning side In the
last Legislature, in which the Democratic
majority had been reduced to almost moth
ing, the Lottery men successfully used
their influence to seat a Radical negro who
was not elected, over a prominent Democrat
who had been elected, and attempted.
unsuccessfully, to seat another Radical