St. Landry democrat., 1890-11-08
Gleanings from a Chapter On the His
tory OF Lotteries.

Il |
tory OF Lotteries
Some ulterior otj, ct of DurfV nature
Z must surely have prompted the Rppub
lIcan party in Congress to pass tie bill
: knoWn as the AntiLottrIy postot1c
act.
Immediately after it's passage we de
nounced it AS bieDg destructive of III.
liberty OF the press, and the more VIC re
ntct upon 1t the more firmly are we con.
v'nced that, The zeal and uIterior ohlecI
"t 1t was tNo-fold. Fust, to bride the
press, and second to strike a stealtIiy
blow at the gifts of the states.
lhe alleged slnfulneSs of gambling
WAS mere pletext, the suppression OF
which, did not weigh feather in h..
real o'J"ct aimed OF. 1t Cannot be
t'"uZl, tor Que moment, that all the
leading minds OF Republican Cnn.ress-
mtn' We're unInf"'med, touching the
legislation TT Congress concerning lot-
| ttrlts.
They had before them every volume
| If legislation from the b+ginuing of tn;
Continental Cougi+ss 20 the dav th.
post-otflc" act "a> PASSED, an1 hy refer
euce to the 2nd Vol. Ut tie American
Al chlves they could have seen that tE;,t
body did, as early as Nov. 1>t. 11H
Resolve, that tun,iS shnu.d be raISed l.,
LOTTERY To dttray the expenses of tie
opening caunpai gn Of the American R-y
olutlouary war. That Il committee WIS
appointed to prepare Il plan of lottery.
r'r. That it reported one which th,
C'"GEcss adopted without a single Oh
Jr. y.
v ny one question the purity of
the OF The members of that Cuu-
sfee .c Biographies of many OF
them long since been written and
are ieh this remote day with lucreas-
lug "''tniiati"n. The morality of ~, |
ou.' Il 'tem has ever been lmpuyntt,
necal>e esa"e bis sanction to such al
enactment. Population WAS then nor
numerous, not exceeding about 3OOO, 600 |
OF souls, including men, women and
children. An army had to be put in the
field to resist the invasion of a most
powerful patton. RrpubIicanism was
the pIlze to be fought for on the ooe
hand, and the power of an oppl es>iy.
and tyldnnuus Government on the otl.
81 Ihe colonlsts We're not wealthy ID
money, but were far more fortunate in
purity OF characteristic virtues of cour-
ge, the treasures OF Intellect, and the
aspirations OF hope. They believed
hat the snow of their character. conlu
ot be blemlshed by the cIlarteriuy of a
'ttery, and they chartered one. A lot
cry that clothed and armed and paid
pldlers, and aided iu keeping the wolf
rom the doors of their lonely families
an any stndeut OF the history of tlla,
rriod, point to word of censu,e of the
oonles for doing so? Has the breath
asp"rsion ever been blown on the
OF the Statesmen and pa !,
lots of that day. Who would da,e n
tempt it? Who could attract respect- :,
II audience if he were reckless enouob >,
venture upon it? They believed
eIe was no moral impropriety in the
easure, and prompted by the neceSsj -
IS OF the situation, chartered the Na. ~
NAL LOTTERY scheme and provided TO, N
operation. 1t accomplished grea, &c
"d t" the cauSr for which they were. ~
"nggilng and Yheu th- Star-spanpled I
huer at last waved over a Hb.ra,,.o K
Il independent people, the or,ginator>
the scheme, stood up in spotItss glorv
tore the world. Their achievements
Il naunts have come down to Ills over
events ot more than a century, with
;reas!ng lustre and admiration. Not
fhstandIng all of which, and much
'rt we might say, IL faction of their -
'ceDdants now raise their croakipp
ices aud denounce ALI LOTTERIES q.
re gambling schemes, gotten up by
ofious cheats, munopoIists ana -
'ues, and legiSIa,iveIy authorized II,
rupt and brlbed representatives,
the'r arguments are entitled to the ~
ne' and amount to anything worth
trouble OF refnting, they besmea, Coz
slres of the revolution with infam,
hold up before the gaze of mankind -
thirteen Colonies, as a confedera ton ,
hers.
cause of deep regret that
or did not live at that stir.
y oguid-, admonish and rec fra
tn adi:g spirits, and save their ~
S al memories from the stain of
, hlip,, .,,d r.I,l,,,x,9