Smyrna times., 1890-09-24

duce it to a minimum and seriously
cripple the operations of the Louisiana
and all other lottery companies that
depend upon general patronage.
The bill differs in several particulars
from any legislation on the subject
hitherto adopted. In the first place it
makes the act of mailing lottery letters
and circulars a continuous offence, tri-
able by a court in any jurisdiction
through which they may pass or into
which they may go. Owing to the
Influence" of the lottery company
with juries in Louisiana it is believed
to be next to impossible to secure con-
victiOn in lottery cases in that State,
but under the present law letter
mailed at New Orleans may be traced
into any other state and identified by
its delivery, so that if the act of mail
ing can be fixed upon any individual
or individuals in New Orleans the of
fense may pass under the review of
courts at the place of delivery, thus Sc
curing a fair trial in localities where
the influence of the lottery is not es-
tablished.
But an even more important change,
and one which should be carefully
noted by every one who may be temp
ted to have any dealings with the lot
terry, is the extension of the penalty
for mailing lottery letters to the Gus
toners and patrons of the lottery COM
pany. Hitherto the penalty applied
only to the companies, but now it ap-
plies to individuals as well, so that
every person in Maryland, or any
other part of the United States who
mails or causes to be mailed any check
draft, bill, money, postal note or mon
ey order for the purchase of lottery
tickets or shares will be deemed guilty
of misdemeanor, and on conviction
thereof shall be punished by a fine of
not more than five hundred dollars or
by Imprisonment for not more than
one year, or by both such fine and i'm
prisonment for each offence. Specula-
ting in lottery tickets in tn e future,
therefore, may be attended with very
unpleasant consequences to the specu-
lator, who may lose not only the money
he has invested in the ticket, but
a good deal more besides, not to men,
ton the little item of his personal lib
erty.
Another particular in which the new
law will differ from the old will be the
closing of the mails to newspapers
which contain lottery advertisements
and list of prizes. The bill provides
that no newspaper, circular, pamphlet
or publication of any kind containing
any advertisement of any lottery or
containing any list of prizes shall be
carried in the mail or delivered by the
postmaster or letter-carrier. The same
penalty is provided in this case as of
that of individuals. The laws of Mary
land against lotteries are very strin-
gent, and if properly executed can be
made to render effective aid to the bill
passed by congress. They provide
that mo person shall draw any lottery
or sell any lottery ticket in this State"
and that "every person, his aiders and
abettors, offending against this prOvis-
ion, shall be deemed guilty Of a mis-
demeanor, and on conviction thereof,
shall be fined for each offence, any sum
in the discretion of the court, not less
than two hundred dollars, and not ex-
ceeding one thousand dollars. or i'm
prisoned not less than three or more
than twelve months, or may be both
fined and imprisoned as aforesaid"
AS is we'll known the Louisiana Lot
terry Company transacts business in
other States by means of local agencies
as well as through the mails, and when
communication with the public is
largely cuJ off through the latter me-
dium, it will doubtless endeavor to
reach customers through such agencies.
Our police authorities will have to be
relied upon to suppress such violations
of State law, and in this way they can
render valuable service in the enforce
ment of the federal statute. Rigorous
penalties are also provided against
bringing into this state any lottery
ticket for the purpose of sale and
against all enterprise of this character,
it being specially declared the preced-
ing sections relating to lotteries shall
apply to all lotteries whether authoiz-
ed by any other state, District or Ter
ritOry, or by any foreign country" and
the courts being authorized to construe
all the provisions relating to lotteries
literally, and to adjudge tickets, parts
of tickets certificates or any other de-
vice whatsoever, by which money or
any other thing is to be paid or deliv-
cred on the happening Of any event or
contingency in the nature of a lottery,
to be lottery tickets.
1t is further provided that ''if any
person shall, by printing, writing, or in
any other way, publish an account of
any lottery, stating when or where the
same is to be drawn, or the prizes there
in, or where any ticket may be OBJ
tanned therein, or in any way aiding
or assisting in the same, he shall, on
conviction, be subject to fine of one
hundred dollars, or be imprisoned
tor the term of sixty days, at the dis
erection of the court. ."-BaIt. Sun.
Mr.. Greatfaith-Please mum, my
wife's took sick, and as me and her
is very religious, we want ye to come
\ E. L