Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-16
Monday, February I6, 1888,
ALOTTERY QUESTION.

The good people of Massachusetts, are just
now discussing question which has interest
for the people of other States. This is,
whether or not lotteries are justifable, even
| for so good object as the increase of the
receipts at the fairs held by Grand Army
posts. All but one of the members of the
| house judiciary committee of the State 1egis-
| lature have agreed to the report adverse to
the petition of several Grand Army posts
| that the law against lotteries may be sus-
pended for the benefit of their fairs. An old
soldier and present member of the lower
| branch of the legislature, Captain Curry, of
Lynn conducted the case of the Grand Army
posts at the committee hearing. Several
c1ergymen, official representatives of the
Methodist, Baptist and Congregational
bodies, and two Unitarian pastors in their
private capacity, one of them member of
a Fitchburg post of the Grand Army, were
present in opposition. The petitioners made
out as strong case as they could. They
pointed to the worthiness of the object. A
moving story was told of the advancing
years and increasing helplessness of mem
bers of the Grand Army and of
the larger and larger drafts up
on their charity funds. To the
assertion of the clergy that the churches
would help them rather than have them hold
lotteries they he'd very complete answer.
Circulars were sent out some time ago to the
churches in the State stating the needs of
the Grand Army for money and asking for
contributions, and only one church in all the
State responded, and that was a Methodist
organization on the Cape, which gave four
teen dollars 1t was not surprising that
there was bitterness and scorn manifested by
some toward the clergy, as every one of them
who was asked whether contribution was
ever taken in his church for the benefit of
the Grand Army was obliged to answer no.
It was shown that where the soldiers had fol-
lowed the advice of their ministerial friends,
and had conducted their fairs without the
lottery feature, their receipts had fallen off
more than one-half, in one case from 81, 700
to about 81 900.
There is no good reason to believe that the
petition of the Grand Army to be al
lowed to have lotteries at their fairs will be
granted. And there is no sufficient reason
why it should be. The Worcester Spy puts
the case about right when it says: If motives
of pity and sympathy were suffered to tri-
umph in the legal establishment of lotter-
les, the hard lot which the soldiers are seek
ing to avoid for their families would be visit
ed inevitably upon some of those whom it is
sought to protect and upon hundreds of 9th
ers in the State The same plea of pity, if
extended to it's proper limits, will react
against the petition of the soldiers, and
| the same hands which signed their request
that the law be suspended in their behalf
| would sign petition for the strict enforce
ment of the laws against lotteries or games
| of chance. They sap stability of character.
They are an unmitigated curse to communi-
| ty, and not good word be said for
them. They ruin those who win and those
| ho 1oca