Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1889-02-10
TINE ..otlMANA I.o1 rHnY.
lts HnxhHaS E~,Ieeis-rne People
Encouraged.

~. wv nhNUU tCh Naa'" ~ a'f
prominent, citizen 81 L%oui,iara. wilton
TO his brother in this county. ia el
Babb's Bilgs. Louisiana. Jan. %,
1889. After some personal ,nstters. in
which tho pubic has no interest. the
Wri,or says:
"I raised n Iar- . crop last year for the
amount If ground 1 had in. Sly cotton
waa the hnr-t | ever ssr. In fact tNis
portion o.: l. u!siana is the richest poE-
tion Of tiod's foot too in natural re-
sources. There is not n State in the
Union That has any richer or more pro-
duGtive soil, together rith ~ fms cI'-
mate ~ we have in tho Uuitei States;
but we have been n victim of bad luck.
az coursc 1t took some tiine t. recover
from the effects OF the war, although
We wero On our feet as srou il not
foonsr than some o: our sister Stiics
that were similarly affected. Then wo
hal the y"l o. fc'.r epidemic that came
To US from up the river. This crippled
us ore year pretty btlly but had the
good elect of strengthening our SANITARY
laws aud putrliug uSaiu~t u r.re.itiou
OF tie importation Of this prstiisucc.
Aud then to add To our mis- ry the worst
Of nlI-wnr. ,pr'tiiuncr, foods and
everything com.inrd-thHt ever afflicted
l. 'uisia ua or any other State wa4 II
lott ~ chartered ia Baton Rouge aud
carriel Oh in Ssw Orleans. This has
dGnDrnlized our people. retarded our
advancement nni hindersi tho develop
insut Of our resourccstj n desrc, be-
yond endurance. Thi. lottery pays in.
to our State Treasury evoiy year con-
siderable money. but not one-teuth Of
:lia Extra coat it has put on us in in.
mails. Iu Alexandria and Chepoyviilr
in this parish, tltn2ides). tho best of
their old merchants and business men
have broke, or quit business e avoid
bankruptcy. Tas ruin this lottery
erazs haa caused amongst orr young
m,a aud women. an,l old ones 100 for
that matter, is Astonishing. The same
rll" applies NIL owe: tho State md
amongst NIL classes and ~colprs.
"Real properly of NIL kinds is down to
II e lowest notch. while in Arkansas,
Texas and Mississippi all properly is
high and times rre good. l WAS falling
to a Georgia gentleman on The Shrcre
port train n few days ng1. lie was an
agent for IN emigration culonr, aud lie
reptile to my quo sion asking hin why
hs did not examine around Louisiana.
That the State had n bad name OH nc
count OF its lottery and it would be nh
im~possibility to get men Of means t.
put their money hsfe, whilst Texas. Ar
kansas, California and other States
were considered good Siaios for invest.
ment. The peJplo holi mestiugs de-
nouncing the curse aud nre trying to
shake it OF but il, is doubtful if we ever
Get rid OF it n, it dominates the govern
mont OF tho Stath, aud tha Legislature
IL only n creature OF its bidding. They
even dictate TO tho preachers in the
churches and tho teachers i'll our
schools. Aud We arc apparently in
their PoweS. Tho stores and thoir
agencies soil tickets to the planters md
ta,o mortgages ut ~ruinous interest in
payment and hundreds OF planters have
been ruined in this mnuuor | saw
planters statements from Alexandria
and CLeueyviIle where tho lottery in-
yestment WIS double MI other expenses
OF the plantation md seeurcd by mort
gage. They have all over The State
agencies which thoy call banks but are
nothing only lottery agencies. They
handle the bulk OF the cotton, cane and
other products OF tho State, At New
Orleans there il the same state of nff IRIS
only WORSE. The lottery has taken
possession OF everything aud their un-
E%crupnlnus gambling mob have crowded
nll legitimate Lugiuess m.n to the wall.
They havo cv.n through vicious lssisln-
ton abolished pool selling auI you nigh.
sny killed horse racing which you know
WINS always our ~faVoritc sport. The
principal stores throughout the parishes
are ali owned or controlled by the lot
tory company. They have in fnct COM
pi'tely paralyzel tho moral and COM
incrcial progress OF this State. / have
kept out Of their clutches directly. but
they have rubbed mo hard indirectly. |
II 1t was not for our poor OLD parents
would sell and leAvc the State. Tho
DAVIS boys thai lived above Benefits
Villo have gono through with their
fathers old place all owing 10 The lottery.
In fact nearly nil tho Bennottsvil:o
and hoorlnnd pl ,nhitions nrs in tho
clutches Of the lottery agency Mt Alrxau.
dria."