Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-09
a BILL TO PASS.

BILL TO PASS.
A bill is before the Legislature to pro-
hibit the publication or advertising in
newspapers, or otherwise, of lottery draw
ings. 1t is very gratifying to the RECORD
UNION that such step has at last been
taken as it has urged three Legislatures
to such action and has pointed out the
shameless violation of the present law by
newspapers of this State. Senator Nc
Gowan is to be commended for his courage
IN assailing an evil that Grand Juries and
prosecuting officers, for fear of the press,
have not dared to assault. This righteous
bill should be made test of the indie
pendence of legislators in the face of
shameful violation of law by the most of
the press of the cities of the State.
These are the facts; the law prohibits
the publication of lottery advertisements
of any character whatever. No one has
ever raised a question of doubt as to the
wisdom of that law. Not three votes in
any Legislature of California since the adj
mission Of the State into the Union could
have been secured for its repeal. The
spirit of the law was incorporated into the
new Constitution, and it has the approval
of the people TO the extent of ninety-nine
out OF every hundred In fact, there is no
other criminal statute outside of those re-
ferring to capital ofenses upon which the
public sentiment is better crystallized
afiirmatively. But few years ago some
shrewd newspaper man suggested that ad-
vertising the drawing the result of lot
terry, Is not advertising the lottery itself,
and on that proposition he ventured to
disobey the law and defy the law officers.
They fearing the power of the press
closed their eyes to the practice which fol-
lowed the suggestion, and for six years
past prominent journals of the State have
been doing the very best work for foreign
lotteries, in the way of advertising, posi-
bic to be accomplished. Columns upon
columns of reports of drawing are now
published with impunity, though they are
advertisements of lotteries of the most de-
moralizing character, aud no Grand Jury
or prosecuting officer has drummed up
courage enough to interpose.
Lottery ticket peddlers and dealers are
arrested, fined and imprisoned every few
days in San Francisco, bnt the agencies
which advertise their business most thor
oughly 50 scot free. The same papers
that unblushingiy advertise the drawings,
with alluring columns of figures and dollar
marks, in the same issues frown, with an
assumption of virtue, upon the lottery
policy dealers, and solemnly record their
conviction aud approve of their punish
ment. A more monstrous instance of
beam and mote was never known than
this practice of the California press.
Common deoency ought to make it gentle
towards its partners in the business of
violating the lottery law, for if the press
yields the great power it claims to exer
cise-if it is such potential agency for
good or i'll, its ofense III this matter COM
pletely overshadows by its magnitude ,hat
of the small-fry policy and lottery ticket
dealers
Another method of violating the laws al 4
the Constitution, aud of aiding the swindi-
ing lotteries that cart 50 much money on
of the State monthly, and so demoralize
the people that are entrapped by the gilt
tering hope of gain, is to publish, attract
lively, as reading matter, stories of 'lucky"
drawings. Every one of these are paid for
and are nothing less than the highest
priced lottery advertisements. In nearly
all cases these yarns" are traps; they are
seldom citations of truth, and are mainly
''rut-up' cases, made to do Gaping" for
the lottery games.
Newspapers Of San Francisco that are
to-day scourging the legislators of the
State, and roundly berating them for deeds
Of commission and sins of omission, will
now have an opportunity to overhaul their
own records and answer to this same body
of lawmakers, whether they have been
blameless in this matter of the lottery
laws; for there is not lawyer in the State
who will imperil his reputation for ability
by holding for 40 instant that the regular
publication OF lottery drawings, as has
been the custom, and the printing for coin
of stories of prizes won is not advertising a
lottery within the meaning of the law. As
it stands, Mr.. McGowan's bill, which the
Legislature will pass, which it cannot af-
ford to neglect, and omission to enact
which will indeed be an offense to the
public sense, will, however, by its affirma-
tive declaration, shut the door efiectually,
so far as California press advertising is
concerned, in the face of the thieving OF
terry concerns of the East, for it will put at
rest the miserable bubble that advertising
the drawing is not advertising lottery
scheme.