The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-10
A EVIL.
Influence of the New Orleans Lottery on So
cial and Political Affairs.

cial and Political Affairs.
Correspondence Philadelphia Times.
The Louisiana lottery has installed a taste and
passion which nothing will check except the
poverty of its deluded patrons. This lottery is
more powerful than the State governments: vet
it could not exist only for the Endorsement of
Generals Beauregard and Early, whose distin-
gulshed military regulations were earned for
them by the brave men whose widows and Dr.
phans are being impoverished by that lottery
and through their influence. The poor through
out the country, seeing such distinguished names
as sponsors, are led to patroniZe the lottery, and
little by little they fritter away their small
earnings until general poverty follows. taxes
are unpaid and schools and churches Ian
guish or cease for lack of support. Only for
the regulations that these men made. and by the
valor of those they now assist in impoverishing.
are they employed. 1t is we'll known that their
services are nominal-it is their names to give
responsibility to the lottery that are wanted.
The Northern. Eastern. and even the Western
States have abolished lotteries, and they in turn
ask to be similarly protected. Louisiana alone
furnishes the Illuminating spectacle of publicly
violating a moral principle, and deriving a reve-
nue. from licensed crime. For fear that the NOR
al sentiment Of the people might awaken and re-
peal the legislative enactment which, by corrup-
ton, gave life to even greater corruption. the
lottery ring, which is the head and front of the
State, overthrow the State government. and en-
grated its charter upon the Constitution; so
that now nothing but a constitutional convention
can 90 away with the lCttery-t Is beyond the
reach of the Legislature.
There is a very strong sentiment against the
lottery, consequent upon the evils it has lmplant-
ed aud the actual suffering that has resulted
from the poorer classes, who are it's chief
patrons. The people have become tired and
weighted down with its immoral and political
influence and rule. The lottery necessarily be-
came a political body. or it would have been
overthrow long since. 1t does not stop at local
politics. 1t had a large hand in the selection of
the United States senator elect from this State,
and the SLATE" is fixed for the next. The State
ring. the municipal ring, and the lottery ring
are three of a kind, OF they may be called one.
for they are but links of the same chain that
manacles the people of this State. The interior
press have begun to clamor for a constitutional
convention. but the echo is faint. The child of
corruption has outgrown the power of the people
which gave it birth, for the magic ring, with its
magical influence, may prove too powerful for
the proposed convention, as it did for the former.
NJ. A. Dauphin. manager of the lottery com
pany. is a slim, wiry. genteel-looking creole gen.
tieman of about fifty years; reserved In manner,
with q cast of reticence almost amounting to
outward expression of suspicion on his dark
features. He reservedly stated that the business
of the lottery was open for general inspection;
about so per cent. of its patronage came from
the Southern States. With a natural shrug
of tho shoulder, which expressed indif-
ference, while his features expressed indigna-
ton. he denounced the ~postofice authorities for
opening letters addressed to. the lottery com
pany. He characterized it as an outrage. and,
with an expression of contempt, concluded:
Proof obtained by such unfair means Is no
proof"