Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-18
A LOTTERy-uIDDEv STATE.
How the Gamblers Control Louisiana
Government Corrupted by a Com
pany which BOasts of Being Able TO
Buy my Muu.

Government corrupted by com
pany which Boasts of Being Able 10
Buy any Man.
New Orleans Cor. New York Times.l
The Louisiana State Lottery company
is monstrous and vicious organiza-
ton which has oversbadowcd the State.
Here the concern has nothing as yet to fear.
Sheltered behind false pretenses and fraud,
intrenched within bulwark of bribery and |
official corruption almost past belief, and
holding PROSTATE 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 cur
tail its enormous power. Its existencc-de-
spite its own pleas and assertions to the con-
trary-is only a matter of sufferance. 1t
has not now-and there is good reason for
saying it never had-a lawful existence. In
defiance, however, of the facts it has gone on
asserting that it was the legitimate
Gently it referred in its published an
Inducements to the State and city officers as
authority for its legality and standing, There
is no doubt whatever that it has the sanction
OF the Democratic State government in one
sense, and that is that it owps and controls
the government. No o., In official station
dares move a step to crush it, although all
who have examined 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 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 governor staff. 1t dominates in
bn 10 Nv nd mr. nj hrih
and officers of the local governments and
prosecutors in nearly every important parish
in the State are its tools. Even mayors of cities
among them the mayor Of the capital 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 primaries, and does
not hesitate to use Its Influence in blasting
the fortunes of those who seek to thwatt its
evil designs. Bribery and threats are among
the weapons it commonly uses, and its en-
ployment of these Is VIGOROUSLY open and
public. The press of the State is silent
against the evil because it is 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 influence from the
State. And even the pulpit is silent. So
| great is the influence and 50 interviewer with
business ard other affairs are the interests of
| the lottery company that ministers and prizes S
| are seemingly afraid OF arousing its animosi-
| ty by denouncing its evil effects.
When the Legislature of the State is in
session two and sometimes three men, silent,
grave and imperturbable, stand near the
doors of the chambers. They appear there
each day promptly at the opening of the de
liberalions, and they are never absent ex-
cept perhaps for a moment, during their
continuance. They are never spoken to and
never appear to speak to anyone least of all
a legislator There is nothing oblrusvC
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
them. Their duties extend not only to at
tending to bills which directly affect the in
| terests of the lottery c1npany-and 1t is sur
prising to find how many and varied these
have become during 10 years-but also to sci
things at work to defeat the measures Of the
few men who will not aid the company, anC
who despite this fact occasionally manage to
get elected to the legislature. During the last
session number of gentlemen in this city
thought they could uncover the enormity Of
the work of this lobby One man, who hat
been in the employ of the lottery company,
was discharged because of over-indulgenco
in whskey-not an uncommon falling by the
way, hereabouts. In disgust at the lack OF
appreciation of his former employers the
man began talking around of what work he
| had done. His remarks came to the ears OF
some gentlemen who thought they wished q
change of administration. They saw the
cX.employe, and heard from him a story oil
most unblushing bribery of members Of the
legislature, in which he had acted AS dis
bursting agent on behalf of the lottery I'M
pany. He was sent, duly accredited to a
well-known gentleman residing at Baton
Rouge, and resolution was intro
cation into the charges OF bribery
BY some strang. oversight 1t was actually
adopted, Next day, however, motion
was made and carried to rescln the resolu
ton Of investigation and to have it expuuged
from the minutes. Some time after
ward one of the lottery men moved
to have the speaker of the House
of epresentatives-Mr. Robert Ogden
another lottery man--appoint a com
mittee to investigate the charges This res
olutien passed all right, and Mr.. Ogden
promptly proceeded to appoint on the com
mittee three of the members Of the House
who were to be investigated. The commit
tee, OF course, never did anything 1t seems
the eX-employe while remaining at Baton
| Rouge was apprehensive that his life was il
danger. One day however, he aCcompanitd
a gentleman in buggy around the town,
and they stopped awhile at the Grand Capita
hotel, near the river front. He was seen in
consultation at that place with the lottery
company's agent and then disappeared, not
| even calling for his clothing. He was sim.
ply spirited away. The lottery company
again used its favOrite remedy-bribery-
with good effect on the man who had used
1t in their behalf.
| When it comes to the matter of money the
lottery company is always "there." 1t con,
| trolls more ready money than any institution
in the State, not even excepting the State
| treasury. 1t makes no report TO any one OF
its funds or its standing, and the wisdom Of
the serpent is shown peculiarly in the cir.
cumstance that it makes no report as to its
disbursements or the purposes for which they
are made, Its net income, as nearly as can
be cphered ont, is between a million and a
quarter and million apd a half dollars per
year. Beginning in 1869 with an entirely
nominal and hypothetical Icapital of $780,
600, the corporators have been able not
only to spend hundreds of thousands of dol
lars ia political and other bribery but to do
nate to themselves and friends $S00,00 Of
extra stock, and to pay regularly As per cent
dividends on 100000 of alleged capital, be-
sides buying much valuable real estate and
making large presents of cash, in block, to
the stockholders from time to time. Their
watered stock is quoted at 81 900 for every
800 share The money behind this comes
from the greedy dupes who have been mis-
led by The hope of becoming suddenly
wealthy through turn of the wheel,
Asharp RetOrt.
Gen. Butler was once engaged as counsel
| for the defendant Ia a case of manslaughter,
| In