The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-04
CORRUPTION BY WHOLESALE
How the Lottery Gamblers Control
the State of Louisiana.
Government Corrupted and Homes Ruined
by Company Which Boasts Of Be-
ing Able to Buy Any Man.

NeW orleans LETTER IN New lOih Alnteos
The final outcome of the struggle between
the Postmaster-general and the Louisiana State
Lottery Company is awaiting here with the
greatest anxiety and interest because the pro
ceedings are regarded big stride toward
turning point in the fortunes of monstrous and
vicious organization which has overshadowed
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 govern
ment, it has defed and continues to defy all at
tempts to suppress it or to curtail its enormous
power It's existence-despte its own pleas and
assertions to the contrary--is only matter
sof sufferance. 1t has not now-and there is good
reason for saying it never had--a lawful exist
ence. In Defiance however of the facts, it has
gone on asserting that it was the legitimate crea-
ton of the State, and until recently, it referred
in its published announcements to the State and
city officers as authority for its legality and
standing The removal Of this last mentioned
statement from its advertisements was made
wholly for political reasons and in view of the
holdingof the Democratic State convention, which
inst. There is no doubt whatever that it has the
sanction of the Democratic State government
in ono sense, and that is that it owns and con
trolls the government. No one in official station
dares move 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
a corporation. But it is more than this. 1t is
virtually the State itself in all it's functions 1t
sits in the executive mansion, one of its adver-
fsed and paid agents being a member of the
Governors staff. 1t dominates in the Legisla-
ture by open and confessed bribery, and officers
of the local governments and prosecutors in
nearly every important parish in the State
its tools. Even mayors OF cities, among them
the mayor of the capital of the State, among
the recognized agents for the sale of its tickets.
1t governs in political assemblies and deter
mines 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 thwart its evil designs. Bribery
and threats are among the weapons it common
ly uses, and its employment of these is notri-
ousiy open and pubic. The press of the State
is silent against the evil because it is subsidized
In the halls Of Justice one lifts up his voice
and invo1es 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 so interviewer with business and
other affairs are the interests of the lottery COM
pany that ministers and priests are seemingly
afraid of arousing its luminosity by denouncing
its evil effects.
When the Legislature of the State is in SEES
sion, two, and sometimes three men, silent,
grave and imperturbable, stand near the doors
of the chambers They appear there promptly
each day at the beginning of the deliberations,
and they are never absent, except perhaps for
a moment during their continuance. They
are never spoken to, and never appear to
speak to anyone, least of all a legisla-
dor. They keep their vigil we'll A
stranger seeing them in attendance under the
circumstances would imagine them to be officers
somewhat akin to the stately buffers that grace
the Railways of baronial palaces-in 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 lottery company, and their business
is to look after the interests of that concern.
Every one knows who they and what their
business is, but no one dares proceed against
them Their duties extend not only to attend
ing to bills which directly affect the interests of
the lottery company-and il is surprising to find
how many and how varied these have become
during some fifteen years-but also to set things
at work to defeat the measures of the few men
r who viii not aid the company and who despite
this fact occasionally manage to get elected to
the Legislature
THE LOBBY WORKS
The manner of the work done by this peculiar
lobby is rather odd. The lobbyists seek the
highways and the byways. There is no meeting
with members in the way of social converse
But occasionally, when a bill comes up about
which something is to be done one way or the
other-or a colored uniformed white member
seems in doubt as to how he should act or vote
on pending measure-the member may take a
stroll out of the chamber. And occasionally
also, one of the quiet, imperturbable observers
may be missed for a moment from his aceus-
toned place. A whispered suggestion in a neigh
boring hallway or equally secluded place gen
orally suffices to throw flood of light on a hes
itating or undecided nature 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 had been in
the employ of the lottery company was dis
charged because of over-indulGence in whisky
{ not an uncommon failing, by the way
hereabouts In disgust at the lack
of appreciation by 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 a
change of administration They saw the ex-
employee and heard from him a story of most
unblushing bribery of members of the Legisa-
ture, in which he had acted as the discussing
agent on behalf Of the lottery company He
was sent, duly accredited, to a well-known gen
tleman residing at Baton Rouge, and resolu-
ton was introduced in the Legislature calling
for committee of investigation into the charges
of bribery. The resolution was introduced by
Mr.. Gibson, of Madison parish BY some strange
oversight it was actually adopted Next day,
however, a motion was made and carried to re-
scind the resolution of investigation and to
have it expunged from the minutes. Some time
afterward one of the lottery men moved to have
the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Mr.. Robert Ogden, another lottery man-ap-
point a committee to investigate the
: charges. This resolution passed all
right, and Mr.. Ogden promptly pro-
eeeded to appoint on the committee three
of the members of the House who were to be in
gestigated. The committee of course, never did
anything. The delay caused by this bit of Skin
mishing was however, made use OF by the lot
terry managers. 1t seems the ex-employe while
ai1nt1n OF