The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-09-23
parinE Let.srr swEaale.

Nothing in the history Of gambling seems 70
mo 10 speak more strongly Of mans tendency
10 this vice, and Of his blindness and folly in
It's pursuit. than the State Lottery of Louis
lana. This lottery is the only one of the kind
now permitted in the United States, and even
this IA as far as possible limited in its action
10 the State Of Louisiana, the Government Of
Washington preventing the postal service oil
the nation las far as possible) from being used
for this gross swiudle. But the lottery thrivcs
All the same. Ii is advertised in hundreds Of
papers, and alwaysiu such terms as amount in
| reality 10 the admission that II is swindle.
have one OF these amazing advertisements
before me. Il announces that 100000 tickets
are sold, each al s., but shares can be bought
| In proportion. II states that Two Comlnis-
sioners- Generals Beauregard and EARLY
manage the drawings, and that these drawings
are conducted with fairness and honesty and
| in good faith TO all parties. And then 1t states
| the value Of the prizes. The total value oil all
| the prizes amounts 10 S265, 900. SupposiRg
all the tickets sold, the balance Of profit
amounts TO S235, 900. From this monthly
profit deduct 81 900 paid to each Commissioner
monthly, and say 81 900 for advertising, or
50 600; and deduct further $4,000 for all other
expenses. The balance, $3.50, 900, rs the monthly
profit This gives an income OF =, I6O,OOO, OF
$3.50 ,OOO, if all the tickets are disposed Of
each month, and this without 4 particle OF
risk. 1, is urged by some that as there is
always the probability that some tickets may
remain unsold, this profit is not certain. l am
told that nearly the full number Of tickets are
sold each month. But in reality the character
Of the swindlc is not at all affected by the
chance that in bad times tho total number Of
tickets may not be purchased. The monthly
profits NAV be diminished, but the transaction
is as rascally, let the number Of tickets be
what it may This is carefully hidden under
the assurance that whatever the numbers OF
sold tickets al the prizes are distributed after
the drawings have been made. This is actu-
ally done But the 1000 numbers are all
distributed FIRST, those sold being distributed
to their respective buyers, those unsold 10 the
company; the company take their chance on
these with the rest, aud IN the long run win
their due proportion ON tle numbers thus left
IN their hands Consider how this works.
Suppose so. 600 tickets sold aid the rest left
in the cump1uy's hands though they seldom
have so many tickets left over as this. Then
the company receive S250,00O for the tickets
sold On these tickets they have to pay all
prizes iallin. To the ticket holder, and taking
one month with another Tor long periods of |
time, the value OF prizes thus drawn for half
the number Of tickets would be half the total |
value Of all the prizes, OF Sl32, 500, the other
half being drawn 70: the numbers held by the |
This half is paid in full like the |
other; but paying it IN full means handing 1t |
over TO the company ont Of their own capital. |
The balance Of profit for the month is 81 500,
or the net profits Sll2, 800, assuming the above |
liberal allowance for expenses. ltis probable |
that the net monthly profits never fall short of |
100000 per month, or E2i0,O00 per annum.
Yet though tie swinjling nature Of the whole |
is thus not only obvious. but, as it |
were, practically insisted upon in the adyer-
lisements of the company, fools rush in, in
myriads monthly, to pay their five dollars for
chances worth but two dollars siNty-hye cents.
If man held an open lottery. to which each
Of one hundred persons admitted paid IS, and
taking the sum Of $500 pounds thus collected,
were to say: ''The lottery, gentlemen gamblers
will now prOcecd E26j Of the sum before me,
will distribute in prizes, as follows" (indi-
,aiing how it would be diyided;) ''the rest,
his SUN Of E235 which / have here separated,
will put into my own pocket" (suiting the
,ctiun to the word,) ''for my trouble in getting
Up this lottery lit strikes me the gentlemen
gamblers" would object to the arrangement
let the Louisiana lotter swiudle does this very
hing on 4 larger scale month after month; and
ach year hundreds of thousands, greedy to
,e rich without labor, pour in their five dol
ars apiece in an endless stream. And the
State Of Louisiana not only allows this gross
windle TO 90 on, but the lottery is a State
4ottery, and has been incorporated by the
legislature Of Louisiana for education and
haritable purposes. "-Erckulys.