Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Advance Of Capitalization Censor.
ship Of the Press.
Steadily Widening Process of Republi-
can Usurpation.
Regulating Lotteries, the Floods ant
Education OF the People.
Special Correspondence of the Gazette.

Education OF the People.
| Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
| WASHINGTON, April 3o.-The propo-
sition, approved by committee of the
senate, to prevent the circulation
through the mails of newspapers con-
tanning lottery advertisements, is the
first step, and a long stride it is, to-
ward the establishment of censorship
of the press. The prohibition is made
because lotteries are supposed to be
necessarily immoral In their influences;
because they minister to the universal
passion for gaming, and because they
gather in the money of the people
without giving an equivalent. This
Is all true more than this is true of
whisky manufacturing, which the
government recognizes, taxes and pro
tects, and worse and worse than all
this is true Of half the transactions in
Wall street, where prices of the food
and fuel of toiling multitudes are sent
up and down by most reckless gam
blers that ever won or lost by the
turn of die. If newspapers may not
tell when Beauregard and Early turn
the wheel of fortune, shall they tell
when Jay Gould bulls or bears the
market? A newspaper makes money
by advertising, and if the
newspapers refuse, other methods
OF informing the people,
more costly but as effective, will be
employed, and the burden of this cost
must be borne at last by the people
buying the lottery tickets. Nothing
Is gained by this violation of the un
res ricted freedom OF the press, butunder
the thin gulse of benefcent purposes
the central government takes charge
of the morals of the press and people.
To the extent that the church thus
employs congress to do its bidding,
we have an alliance between church
ana state. II newspapers are to be
punished for advertising lotteries,
!, much more should he the people for
buying tickets, and yet 1t has been
supposed that mans money is his
: own, to be wasted or boarded as he
+ chooses, and while the government
may properly guard good morals
IL cannot inquire into or determine the
moral quality of actions which are
: vioiative of no human law. While life
L assurance is gambling, even in human
u life, and the whole press of the whole
! country has been burdened with life
assurance advertisements, until public
opinion confesses an absurdity and
asserts the morality and profita6leness
u the people of the business. and the
D big fish have swallowed the little. and
d only three or four great life companies
d subslst-while this stupendous lottery
1. business Is suffered to be advertised
there should be no law interdiclinu
8 ihe use of the / ress by the New or,
leahs lottery. These advertisements
t. az worst only rob the people of their
D. money, whiie patent medicine adver-
tisements rob them of their lives.
= Where do congressional powers he
Re gin and end? 1t may be well TO de.
J. s!roy the lottery, but we will have
If gained little If in accomplishing the
r. result we have paved the way for the
~ destruction OF the freedom ofthe press
al ana conceded To congress the care Of
tne private morals and of the money
.. ana newspapers of the people.
NJ THE NEW COMMISSION.
The strictest constructionist of fedar-
- al organic law is truest to the freedom
= OF The state and of the people. IF tha
80 people ever lose their liberties, gained
Il oy our forefathers who were no
+ more patriotic than iIliterate
- ,ne result must spriug from the usur,
- PATTON OF powers not conceded To the
d central government by those who
" framed 1t. These Lawmakers are I'M
Dued with the fixed conviction ne son,,
!. as they are uplifted above the common
y nerd and invested with honors and
,e emollments, that they know better
T. now 10 use and direct the peonle,s
:, money than the people themselves
ncleIore the wisdom of collecting
IL more money from popular toll than
,t .re government needs in the exercise
II y. is properly restricted functions. The
broader It's scope of action, the moro
money 1t needs, and thus Il instif;as
10 the adoption of enormous sums ,sx.
n pended more wisely for the peonle
% IMAM the people would for themselyes
Such Is the theory of American gov.
. efhment ~ expounded by the Renuh-
" iicail party. anu such was not the the.
/. DRY OF those who reserved To tho
!. states or the people all powers NOT ex-
IreSsly granted by the charter Of
= American freedom.
l. ANOTHER EXPANSION OF POWER.
J, Not only does congress undertake 70
G prescribe what THE GAZETTE shall mr.
a snali not publish, but the npent
lhe people, congress, deliberatelv
transfers Its agency to a sub-auencyy
ana this In open violation of n funds,
! mental principle Of the common law
IA operation before and when the con.
s'iiution was adopted. IL would cre"ta
another grand commission, endowed
IN me beginning with a million
uoiiars with which to prevent Hoods
in .ne valley OF the Missouri, Law.
lesS power ~ thus to lie ayar.isaa 80"
lswless purpose by lawless arenny
inc congress may "Iegulate,, intcyr
sIate commerce, but n invas,aa
WIN no right to regulate Interstate ~
otner overiiows Of rivera. n sildaa
perjury with gold. benaath a., shueu