The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1889-02-14

hoe siiys shoie risntou anu hJuse,
then, for any editor or other person to
advise the people to vote No on all the
amendments, in view of the financial
condition of our State, present and
prospective, simply because the Legis.
lature has appropriated $4,000 to
cover the expenses Of the election to
be heidi
Some newspapers have taken this
ground and are to-day asking people to
vote No upon something that, thereby,
they would prevent the expenditure of
this sum or restore. it to the Treas
ury. Is it not rather evidence OF
spleen and vindictiveness than level
headed disposition to fairly consider
the subject in hand, and benefit the
taxpayer upon whose shoulders fall
the burden of maintaining the State
government The bare statement of
the proposition carries with it refuta-
ton. If the amendment respecting
the investment of the school money,
the $1,000 and upwards, prevails the
increased interest of that sum alone
will more than doubly pay the ex
penses of the election.
If the amendment in relation to per-
mitting the Legislature IN its judg-
ment to license a lottery prevails, the
minimum income from that source
alone, which has even been suggested
or intiinated, would more than four
times pay all the expenses of the cleo
tion before the meeting of tho next
Legislature.
The smallest amount of license per
annum which has been suggested by
the friends of the Lottery amendment
at any time, and which amount was
named in the bill which passed both
branches of the Legislature two years
ago and which WIS vetoed by the Gov
ernor on constitutional grounds alone,
was $40, 1000. The adoption of these
two amendments alone would add to
the States receipts annually $50, 600
$120 900 between sessions of the Leg
islature-and not one cent would be
added to the burdens of our tax
ridden people.
| The interest on our school money
would be paid by some other State in
the Union, and paid out by Nevada to
the educators of our children.
The income from the liceEse to the
lottery say $4,000 per annlm-
would come from abroad, and would
be paid out either to our officers or to
support our charitable Institutions
the Insane Asylum or Orphans Home
or to Nevada workingmen for the con-
struction of reservoirs over Nevada to
save the water running 10 waste in
early Spring, for the irrigation of our
arid lands and the making of perma-
nent homes, thus in turn creating
more taxable property for the support
Ct the governments, State and county.
1t will not do, in the present circum-
stances for any one, even might he be
a professional moralist, to pooh-pooh
the proposition of licensing a lottery,
and for that purpose removing the
present Constitutional restrictions up
on the Legislature.
1t must be remembered that at the
election next Monday no particular
bill or law is befe re the people at all,
and if the people defeat these amend.
ments to which l have called attention,
it will be final as to all for many years
to come. They cannot be revived un-
til after they have passed two con-
secutive Legislatures to be hereafter
chosen, and again submitted to the
people.
What are the arguments in favor Of
so amending the Constitution as to
permit the Legislature to license onel
We must remember that our State
is declining in population and wealth.
However disagreeable the facts may
be to US, it is the duty of every tax
payer to look them squarely in the
face and ito deduce such conclusions
as are legitimate and necessary from
the facts. The first thing We know,
it will become serious question of
law and craftsmanship, as to how a
State Government may be permitted to
lapse into territorial form of govern
ment or to be annexed to some other
State, in view of the stubborn fact that
it will be impossible to maintain a