Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-07-19

tcmplatCd an enormous ana speedy a'
of wealth To themselves,
could afford to volunteer the payment
OF So large a tax as that proposed.
1t Is proposed that for the privilege
OF carrying ON wholesale lottery busi,
ness in these islands the lncorporators
under the proposed charter shall pay
into the government treasury an annual
sum OF $4,000 to be devoted to the
support of the lcpcrs This enormous
tax might act as an immediate but TEN.
porary relief in the straightened pecuni-
ary condition of the government and
might under the peculiar circumstances
and upon very superficial considcra.
ton OF the intent and meaning OF the
act perhaps To certain extent seem
justified Such however can never be
the case when a proper examination is
made as to the actual manner in which
such a sum is to be raised, from whom
il is eventually to come, and what the
ultimate effects will be upon the popu-
lation generally. /, requires no very
extra powers of discernmen, to see
that, the sum being but percen-
tage which the enterprise can afford to
give out of lis proposed profits alone,
the business anticipated must be some
thing OF enormous dimensions We can.
not suppose, even under the most
liberal estimate. that more than half
OF the profits of the enterprise are to he
thus given away-perhaps, and far
more likely not even third. Ii fully
one halt, then this community is to be
blcd and pccuniarily impoverished to
an amount of $500, 900 annually, and
this for no general benefit whatever.
For this amount expended among all
classes of the community and contribu-
ted to mostly by the ps0teH OF the
people A few individuals among us
may be the recipients of few prizes,
amounting in all TO a sum vastly insig-
nihcant in comparison with the invest
ments made. The only persons con
nected with the enterprise, who can cal
culate upon their gains will be those
in whose hands the management ex.
lists, and these will be great in direct
ratio to the number and low intelli-
gence OF their customers. What the bad
effects OF legalizing such scheme will
be, the experience of other countries
teaches us analogically. The history
OF such things has been the same in all
places and in all times and is sufficient
TO indicate the demoralizing effects to
be anticipated here ii this bill becomes
a law. Schemes such as this for the
raising of public revenues, have been
tried in many and distant countries
there has been but one result, and their
tendency everywhere has been so de
moralizing that they have been aban-
doned in all enlightened countries
Where they are able now to exist under
legal sanction, is only where morality,
intelligence, and education is low and
material prosperity at stand-still. In
England and France and other
European countries lotteries were at
one time legalized, usually TO meet des-
perate circumstances and great emerg-
encies. Bitter experience of then
demoralizlng effects has now in almost
all these countries effected their aban
donment by law. In tardigrade Spain
and few other countries of the con
tinent where education aid morals are
low, they may yet exist, but even there
with the general effects of progressing
civilization their existanCe is gradual,
becoming more and more feeble. In
some Of the more degenerate South
American states, they are able yet tc
exist. In the United States, lotteries
are now legalized only in one state,
and that is the State of Louisiana.
Even in Maryland and Kentucky they
are now abandoned by law. The legiti
mate effects that may be expected here
rom legalized gambling would be es
pecially among the laboring classes, !
tendency TO idleness and consequent
impoverishment, leading to defalca
tionS, embezzlements and larcenies, the
nature of which would be determined
by the opportunities offered. The
opinion Of some of our citizens, who
themselves have been brought up where
this species Of gambling has been al
lowed and who are familiar with all it:
details, is that il this law goes into ef
feet, it will not be long before iearl,
all OF the kuleanas of the natives viii
be hypothecated to obtain the mean,
OF investing, and that poverty, pauper
ism and crime will be SO inc, ,eased tha
the legal tax proposed will be ever
more than twice eaten up iE she way o
need-charties and extra police sur
veilance. We can all see now how diff
ficult a matter it is TO keep the ,endene,
Of gambling under control notwth
standing that We have strict laws TO
that purpose and police to enforc,
them-what will be the case when gov
ernment officials and policemen ma,
under the law turn gamblers also
The very silent way in which thi'
bill has been introduced, at very lat,
day in the session, Is suspicious il
itself, and that It's introducer has alrcad,
become known as the introducer o