St. Landry democrat., 1886-02-27
The Lottery Question.
Louisiana Democrat.

The three principal questions wlllcl
agitatcd the public mind in this Stat.
dnring the last campaign were. the
Public Schools, the railroads and til.
Lottery. | have already had some.
ching to say on the first two, aud will
your permission propose now 10 show
what was done at the last session OF
she. Legislature in reference to the La
State Lottery and to discuss tia,
matter.
The first attempt made was to pass
bill proposing an amendment to the
Constitution, aholishing the ch;t,.tts, o,
Iathe: to repeal the recognitiots of thai
institution coma ned in the CopstIttl-
ton of 1879. TINS bill came trou the
committee on the Constitution with Il
favorable report, was discussed at
length and failed of passage for want
OF the requisite two thirds vote 1t
can be said to the credit of the House
that there was a majority in favor OF
the bill. Failing i'll this another bill
syas introduced to charter another com
pany. This was defeated for want OF
II majority. The policy of those op-
posed to the Louisiana State Lottery
was, first to abolish all lotte,it, aud
failing i'll this to charter other compa-
MES as provided for in the Constitution
in order to destroy the monthly enjoyed
by the Louisiana Lottery Co. There
wasan attempt made to repeal the sta
tntes which protect tho sale Of the
tickets Of that company. This, .failed
like all the others, only thatiAthecase
OF this bill there was an adverse re-
polt from the Committee. The Jour
nal will show that | voted with and
made q report for the minority Of the
,lIn FOO fa vnrincp tho - ~
blis, which came up at or near the close
of the session.
| have thus recapitnlated what was
done or rather attempted to be- done,
for several leasOns. In this Parish riie
intsnence of the Louisiana LOTTERY
Company was forcibly shown to US by
the use of money in the last campaign.
The public resented this very jlssly
and the issue of Lottery and autl- Lot
terry was sharply drawn in this Parish.
In some of the oeher parishes there is
4 sentiment which found expression in
the papers and in the votes of mem
bers, that it is better policy to let the
Lottery alone than to fight it. | have
even heard it expressed here. do not
share in this sentiment and never have
entertained that view. The same poll
cy wot.,.. inouce the clergyman TO let
HiIC uCsAl lok ACsat vi MIN
up to renewed activity. g. Eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty" and
eternal warfare is the destiny of right
and truth. The Haunting assertion
sent abroad in every advertisement Of
this company, "tllat this is the only
Lottery in any State ever voted on and
endorsed by its people, il q continued
imputatinn upon the diligence, it not
the morality of the people OF Louisiana,
and it is as well an unceasing menace
TO our material prosperity, because il
seriously impnirs the standing OF this
State with the people of other States.
Nor is it true that the people OF his
State in adopting the Constitution of
1879, had any intention of endorsing
the Lottery Company. The recogni-
ton OF it in that instrument had been
;lrtfully included in the body Of the in
strnmeht itself and the people had no
of voting for or against
the Lottery per Sc. Had the question
been submitted in the shape of Il sepa-
rate ordinance of the Convention it |
would have been overwhelmingly de- |
teated.
Nor is the policy Indicated above |
t is, in the Constitution of 1879 was to
asst only until 1895 and it ia certain-;,s
certain as any future event can be--that
1t some time before these next nine
iears have passed, vigorous effort
wall DO made to secure a renewal of the
charter OF that concern. There are
but taco more Legislatures to be elected
before the present recognition" ex-
,ires. I say recognition" adj, isedly.
because the Louisiana Lottery Comp;.-
~ has no charter. The one it had was
'epealed by the Nichols legislature
Ind the Constitutional Convention
;ould do no more than to recognizcr
t. 1t could not and did not pretend
q give it q new charter and it has
lone. That before 1895 it will Try TO
,et new one, no sane man can doubt.
To secure it's purpose it will not
lesitate to debase and corrupt politics
z this State as it has done in the ,,ast
The let it alone policy will he .jnst .
,iaying into its hand aud wilt afford it +,
he opportunity to do its work of bride !
v and corruption the more securely i
nd certainly. The necessity will be !
Ipon it to fight for its future existence ,
nd judging from its past record it will +
ot scruple at the emplOyment Of any {
means to gain it's end. 1t will he IL dis E
urblng factor IN Louisiana politics un-
Il the people kill it too dead to kick. !
Entertaining now the same views I ,
ave always held on this subject, and i
moving of no change in the opinion :
1 the people Of this Parish who sent i
ne to the legislature to reflect their i;
rinions | shall, so far rs I may be n
BILE, continue to attack the Louisiana !;
ottery Company. at the approaching +
.ssion in May and shall not sul,. =
.ribe to the "!et it alone" policy, I'M
| II IL dead or eliminated as a factor =
Louisiana politics. #
Respectfully. II
RoBT. p. HUNTER. :,