The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-04-24
Letter from Hon. w. w. Vance.

ure. Atu utterly opposed TO a re"
newal of the charter of the Louisiana
Lottery on any terms or conditions.
Allow me to state few of the many
reasons for the faith that is in me-
The Lottery is morally wrong, mis-
chievous aud demoralizing in its in
fuences; a viii O. the wisp Turing
men from habits of industry and
frugality to idleness and vain expec-
tations of sudden fortune, but it is
not necessary to discuss this phase of
the question, as scarcely any one will
be found with the hardihood to de-
fend it on ethical grounds. Apollo
gists for it politically will be equally
few. In this regard it is putrid be-
yond measure. At every street cor
ner we may hear rumors, more or less
true, that the Lottery has bought
controlling interest in this or that
enterprise, with the hope and expec-
tation of controlling this or that per
son.
Who is asking the submission of
this Constitutional Amendment? Not
the people; not constituency in the
State has asked it; on the contrary
many have denounced it and protest.
ed against it. The Lottery is the
vilest corporation in the South. It's
enormous power is welded by star
chamber, authorized to spend vast
sums wherever interest may suggest,
without consulting stockholders, and,
doubtless, without accountability
so far as its books will show. Why
is the Lottery alone, of all the cor
porations in the State, to be singled
out, favored beyond precedent, and
put in the Constitution, while the
others must content themselves with
statutory charters? Is it dearer to
us than our factories, which offer in
Vestments for capital and honorable
employment for thousands? It is
the yilest twaddle to say that putting
it in the Constitution takes it out of
politics. It is time the people should
take warning against the rapid soon
gestion of wealth" in the hands of
few. 1t is dangerous to popular gov
ernment. 'An executive, chosen by
the people and responsible to them,
may exercise but little authority; and
after short period he must return it
to them. But money-king may
double, -quadruple, centuple his
wealth, if he can. He. may exercise
vastly more power than the Governor
of his State; but he is irresponsible.
He is not chosen by the people with
reference to his fitness to administer
SO great trust; he may lack utterly
all moral qualification for it. Our
money-king must not, after two or
four years, return his power to the
people; he has life tenure of Office,
provided only his grip upon his
golden sceptre be strong" If the
Lottery is now strong enough to force
itself back into the Constitution what
will it not be able to do after gathering
wealth and power for another quarter
of century? Instead of govern
ment, of the people, for the people,
by the people, you will have a gov,
eminent OF people, by the Lottery,
for the Lottery.
Our peculiar situation admonishes
US of the absolute necessity for unity
and concord. No one can be SO blind
as not to see that strife, bitterness
and probably bloodshed will grow out
OF a contest over this proposed Con.
stltutional Amendment. For whom
are we to be subjected to all these
ills? For a few corporators, the
names of some of whom would con.
lure up page in Louisiana's history
that is darkness visible" Lastly,
let us look at this matter from pure
ly business standpoint. The impress.
sion has been industriously created,
tenderly fostered and continuously
paraded before the public that the
Lottery is financially beneficial to the
State. The receipts of the Lottery
from monthly drawings amount to
about $13,000,000 90 per annum, of
which about fifty per cent is returned
in prizes, leaving their gains Sc, $780,
600 90. The Lottery urges that its
large receipts bring money into the
State, strengthen the banks, make
accommodations easy and interest
low, and that but per cent of its
subscriptions come out of residents
Of Louisiana, For the moment, let
all these things be taken as true, and
how utterly inadequate they are to |
offset the morelleprosy and political |
curse inseparable from the LOTTERY
evils that cannot be compensated by |
dollars. The 3 per cent of the re- |
,eipts admitted to come out of the |
pockets of Louisiana amounts annu. |
lily to about 100000 90. To this
Idd the receipts from the daily draw
ngs, which come almost exclusively
rom Louisiana, and which amount to
'ver 100000 yearly, and you will
lave an annual shrinkage of the tax
'ble property of the State of So, 2OO,-
100 90, in other words, this large
um going from the ,,oclrots of AZ