The Portland daily press., 1884-01-08
PRICE THREE CENTS.

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trate the executive, the law-making and the
administrative powers Of the government, It
has defied and continues to defy all attempts
to suppress it or to curtail its enormous pow
er. Its existence-despite its own pleas and
assertions to the contrary-is only q matter
of sufferance 1t has not now-and there IL
good reason for saying it never had-a law
full existence. In defiance, however, of the
facts it has gone on asserting that It was the
legitimate creation of the State, and until
recently it referred In its published an
nouncements to the State and city officers as
authority for its legality and standing. The
removal of the last mentioned statement
from its advertisements was made wholly
for political reasons and in view of the hold
ing of the Democratic State convention
which was had at Baton Rouge, beginning
on the 18th inst. There is no doubt what
ever that it has the sanction of the Demo
cratic State government in one sense, and
that is that ii owns and controls the govern
ment. No one in official station dares move
step to crush it, although all who have ex-
amined into the matter know it has no Just
or legal claim to existence. This fact alone
would be fatal to the concern were it only q
corporation. But it is more than this. 1t is
virtually the State itself in all its functions.
1t sits in the executive mansion, one Of its
advertised and paid agents being member
of the governors staff. 1t dominates in the
legislature by open and professed bribery,
and officers of the local governments and
prosecutors in nearly every important par
sh in the State are Its tools. Even mayors
of cities, among them the mayor of the capl-
tai of the State, are among the recognized
agents for the sale of its tickets. 1t governs
in political assemblies and determines the
regularity of the delegates to State and local
conventions. 1t buys its way at the prima-
ries, and does not hesitate to use its inhu-
ence in blasting the fortunes of those who
seek to thwart its evil designs. Bribery and
threats are among the weapons it commonly
uses, and its employment of these is notori-
ously open and public. The press OF the
State is silent against the evil because it il
subsidized. In the halls of justice no one
| lifts up his voice and invokes the aid of the
law to remove the dreadful blight of its in
| fuence from the State. And even the pull
pit is silent So great is the inhuencs and
so interviewer with business and other af-
fairs are the interests of the lottery compa-
| ny that ministers and priests are seemingly
| afraid of arousing its animosity by denounc-
| ing its evil effects.
When the legislature of the State is In ses-
| sion two and sometimes three men, silent.
rhah ~
| doors of the chambers. They appear there
each day promptly at the opening of the de-
| liberations, and they are never absent, ex-
| cept perhaps for moment, during their
| continuance. They are never spoken to and
never appear to speak to anyone, least of all
legislator. They keep their vigil well. A
| stranger seeing them in attendance under
| the circumstances would imagine themte be
officers, somewhat akiP to the stately bntiers
| that grace the Railways of baronial palaces
| lin novels There Is nothing obtrusive
| about their presence or their conduct, but
| they manage. without really appearing to do
| so, to keep pretty good track of all of the
legislation. They are the agents of the lot
| terry company, and their business Is to look
after the interests OF that concern. Every
| one knows who they are and what their
business is, but no one dares proceed against
| then. Their duties extend not only to at
tending to bills which directly affect the in
| terests of the lottery company-and it Is sur
| prisng to find how many and varied these
have become during Is years-but also to set
| things at work to defeat the measures Of the
| few men who will not aid the company, and
| Who despite this fact occasionally manage to
| get elected to the legislature. The manner
of the work done by this peculiar lobby Is
| rather odd. The lobbyists seek the highways
| and byways. There is no meeting with
| members in the way of social converse. But,
occasionally, when bill comes up about
| which something is to be done one way or
| the other-or a colored or uninformed white
| member seems in doubt as to how he should
| act or vote on pending measure the men,
Der may take stroll out of the chamber.
And occasionally also one of the quiet i'm
| perlurbable observers may be missed for
moment from his accustomed place. A
whispered suggestion in a neighboring hall
way or equally secluded place generally suf-
fees to throw flood of light on a hesitating
or undecided nature. During the last ses.
sion number of gentlemen in this city
thought they could uncover the enormity OF
the work of this lobby. One man, who had
been in the employ of the lottery company,
| was discharged because OF over-indulgence
| in whisky-not an uncommon failing, by the
I gay, hereabouts. In disgust at the lack of
appreciation of his former employers the
man began tafkfss -s-sSs--ad of what work ha
some gentlemen who thought they wisheda
change of administration. They saw the
ex-employe, aud heard from him story of
most unblushing bribery of members of the
| Legislature, in which he had acted as dis
bursting agent on behalf of the lottery COM
| pany. He was sent, duly accredited, to
| well-known gentleman residing at Baton
| Rouge, and a resolution was introduced In
| the Legislature into the charges of bribery.
The resolution was introduced by Mr.. Glib
| son of Madison parish. By some strange
oversight it was actually adopted. Next
| day, however, motion was made and car
| ried to rescind the resolution of investiga-
| tion and to have 1t expunged from the min
| utes. Some time afterward one of the lot
terry men moved to have the speaker Of the
| House of Representatives-Mr. Robert Og-
den, another lottery man-appoint COM
mittee to investigate the charges. This res
olution passed all right, and Mr.. Ogden
| promptly proceeded TO appoint on the COM
/ mittee three of the members of the House
who we're to be investigated. The commit
| tee, of course, never did anything. The de-
lay caused by this bit of skirmishing was,
| however, made use of by the lottery man
| ayers. 1t seems the ex-employe while re-
naming at Baton Rouge was apprehsnslve
| that his life was In danger. He thought the
lottery people would kill him to prevent his
| revealing the secrets of their work as 10 the
bribing of legislators, and often expressed
himself to that effect For some time he
remained in the strictest seclusion and saw
no one except the members of the family Of
the gentleman in whose house he was doIni-
ciled. One day, however, he accompanied
this gentleman in buggy around the town,
and they stopped awhile at the Grand Capt.
tai hotel, near the river front. He was seen
in consultation at that place with the lottery
company's agents and then disappeared, not
even calling for his clothing. He was sim
ply spirited away. The lottery company
again used its favcrite remedy-bribery-
with good effect on the man who had used
it in their behalf And money will 90 fur
ther in this and most other ways In this
than it will elsewhere. 1t Is singular as to
how many persons there are to whom the
dollar is ''as large as a cart-wheel." "Char-
lie'' Howard, the depraved old man who Is
the chieftain of the lottery gang here,
has boasted of what he has done with
, money, and even went so far once as 10 pub
lish a list of the members Of the Legislature
whom he had bribed for 81 200 per head to
vote for levee company scheme which for