Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1889-03-02
GAMBLING.


several other city papers Ifsuch is
the case, that All the papers that in
sert Their advertisernentare purchased
Brother Boone has huge job OH his
bands to breat their influence down.
As to coming out in opposite n
~ the cDatinuance of the charter oil
the louisiana State Lottery, many
questions of rroprietv will come up.
Heretofore the most bitter opro-
nents OF the Louisiana State Lottery
were not opposed to gambling but
simply opposed the monopoly clause
. Wanted II Lottery in every parish III
the State. 1t was the monopoly fea-
ture they objected to. We did not,
nor DO We at TINS time see the propri-
ETY. Of si,nFly doing away with the
monopoly feature of the present lot
/ terry to license many others We are
in favor OF abolishing she whole thing
at she expiration OF the time the Lou
lsiana State Lottery = charter expires.
Not only this, but we have species of
gambling ten times worse in their moral
tendencies than that Of the Louisiana
State Lottery that can and will be
prohibited if the papers will turn their
attention to them at the present
They are act chartered or perpetuated
by legislation and can be legislated
out Of existence at any time the Gen
eral Assembly are in session. 1t is
only necessary to refer to enc OF these
many gambling games, that of dice or
high ball The lives saved, the
money saved in criminal prosecutions
&c, to say nothing of the time lest by
those who engage in those things, is of
vast more Importance to the morals of
community than the money ex-
pended in the Louisiana State Lot
terry.
Upon the subject of gambling and
the State Lottery we quote the follow
ing from the constitution of 1879:
ART. l67 reads: The General As
sembly shall have authority to grant
lottery charters orpivileges; provided
each charter privilege shall pay not
less than $40 900 per aNnum in money
into the treasury of the State; and
provided further, That all charters
shall cease and expire on the 1st of
Jany, 1895 from which time lotteries
are prohibited in the State.
The $40 600 per annum now prOvi-
ded by law to be paid by the Louis
lana State Lottery Company according
to the provisions OF the charter, gran
ted in the year 1868, shall belong to
the Charity Hospital of New Orleans
and the charter Of said company is
recognized as contract binding on
the State for the period therein speci-
fed, except its monopoly clause, which
is hereby abrogated, and all laws con-
trary to the provisions of this article
are hereby declared null and void,
provided, said company shall file
written pronunciation of all its monopo-
ly features in the Office of the Secre-
tary of State within sixty days after the
OF this constitution.
Of the additional sums raised BY
license on lotteries, the hospital at
Shreveport shall receive $40 600 an
nually, and the remaining sum shall
be divided each year among the sew
eraf parishes in the State for the ben
eft of their schools
The impression made upon the
minds Of some is that the agitation of
another constitutional convention is
for the purpose of perpetuating the
charter of the Louisiana State Lot
terry. This may be fact, or it may
be with view to perpetuating lotte-
ries without the monopoly feature and
reducing the licenses.
The first Of January, 1895 is five
years in the future and individually,
it will make very little difference as
many of us will have passed over the
river to that undiscovered country
from whence no traveller returns.
We should however, live for those
who live after US, and not leave them
the existence of that which the Repub-
licans of Louisiana were so Thoughtful
as to turn over to the Democrats.
We find conflicts in our constitution
as the following will show:
ART liz of the State constitution
reads: Gambling is declared 10 be a
vice and the General Assembly shall
enact laws for its suppression"