The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-09

Cooley says ''when the inquiry IL drectet
to asoertaining the mischief designed 10 b.
remedied, or the purpose sought TO be no
com plished by . particular provision, II ma,
DO proper to examine the proceedings Of tn,
The same writer also says: 'The history D
the calling Of the convention, the causes
which led 10 Il, and the discussions and IL
sues before the people ut the time of the cleo
tion Of the delegates. will sometimes be quite
40 Instructive and satisfactory as anything
to be gathered from the proceedings Of the
convention" 5@..-
"And Il is especially important to look into
IL, II the constitution IL the successor TO an.
other, and In tho particular In question es
sential changes have apparently been made.
The States INSERTS TINT 1t was the Intention
Of the convention and tho people Of the city
and parishes to encourage the establishment
Or other lotteries for the benefit VI the
Shreveport Charity Hospital and for the sup
port OF tho public schools Of tho parishes.
The DEMOCRAT denies that II was the In.
tentlon Of either the convention or the people
that this species Of gambling should be on.
co,raged. and we affirm that the convention
would, by two-thirds vote, have prohibited
all lotteries from tho date Of the adoption Of
the constitution but for the fact that ma
jority Of the members and the ablest lawyers
IN the convention recognized the existence OF
contract carrying with 1t vested rights.
In constituting the intention OF tho conven-
ton lot hs consider
Tirst-Thnt the constitution of 1870 ID the
successor of the constitution Of 1863 and, i1-
asmuch as the constitution Of 1868 contained
no prohibition of lotteries, and that of 1879
expressly prohibits them at tho expiration Of
the Recognized contract, We are authorized
under the rule to regard that distinction as
expressive Of the intention Of the convention
and 10 be antagonistic to the business
Second-The history Of tho calling of the
convention, the causes which led to IT, and
the discussions and issues before the people,
present the most conclusive evidence In the
discussion Of this subject.
The .Siates scarcely requires reminder
Or these events to establish the fact that
the most prominent Issue before the peo-
pie prior to the calling Of convention, and as
the time of the election OF delegates, was tbs
lottery question.
The history Of this State does not present q
parallel to the fierce and relentless warfare
urged by the DEMOCRAT against tho lottery
business and when 1t Is taken into considera-
ton that the DEMOCRAT was sustained by the
entire press Of the State outside Of New Or
leans, with one or two exceptions Il must be
admitted that no more powerful influences
could have been exerted to shape the sentl-
ment OF the people and the convention.
The editor Of the States, then editing
the DEMOCRAT. led the war with all the
power Of q trenchant pen, and flooded the
State with an avalanche OK attacks, not solely
aimed at the then existing monopoly, but
branding the whole business with stain
which he cannot, IN lifetime, efface by
plausible argument.
The subjoined extracts from an article from
the pen of the present editor Or the States IN
June, 1878. In connection with hundreds Of
others, extending over o period Of two
years, indicates his deep-rooted adherence
Of the lottery business at that time, both
from political and moral standpoint, and
is reproduced to sustain our construction 81
the action Of the Constitutional Convention,
by showing the influences, discussions and
issues most prominently before the people at
the time.
We confess that we do not quite under
stand why the whole lottery business IL not
ms great an evil now as 1t was then,
or how the organization Of additional
companies. as advanced by the States.
will lessen the evil; but our purpose
Ia simply to prove that 1t never was the In
tention OF the convention or expectation Of
the people that the alleged evils. 80 graphic
ally pictured by the editor OF the States,
should be inflicted upon the people by the
passage OF general law which would un-
bunko and policy shops, by which the people
will be fleeced.
MORAL PLAGUE. M-.=
democrat. June .. 1881
The sole object the DEMOCRAT originally had
In moving against the Louisiana State Lottery
was to destroy = great and pern!clous political
engine which had been created. through eor-
rupt Legislation. In our midst, This
was our sole original object IN tnstituting ihis
object now In prosecuting. It., But az. we
stirred The loathsomae pool from its dark 8;
ans
arisen In swarming multitudes. as II sum.
moned from the deep by some cunning spell.
to touch our hearts and excite at once our sym.
What would The Christian people OF New Or
leans think II they should learn. through our
telegraphlc columns this morning, that In Bos-
ton. or Philadelphia or New York, or any
other city. the government had licensed school
to educate men. women and children to be
gamblers. and that the amount Of the license
was to be applied to tina support OF charitable
institutions Of the city? We believe they would
be inexpressibly shocked; we believe they
4 h, hrrr {A.1n pdi tHt spnn nf
Those who have followed up our investiga-
ton into the effects OF this institution upon the
public morals must concede that this ts true.
Th. scheme Of the lottery is so deity and wisely
adapted to its pernicious, purposes. that II
Of the community to play. and thus II infects
the whole body OF socte,y. With co!d-blooded
cruelty: with sort OF fendish heartlessness. II
preys, most successfully upon the poorest and
most ignorant neo0l. The miserable
tickets In vain: the clerk who has been pilfer-
Ing money from his employer to invest; the IN
fatuated man or woman who has lost hundreds.
nav fhnusRndR OF dollars In trying to win =