Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-27
KENTUCKY AND THE LOTTERY.

henlucKV is ABOUT TO RID Itself OF the
lottery evil, and the reform is due in part
to the fact that the lottery men oreresti-
mated their strength and recently at
tempted to accomplish extension of their
charters by bribery. 1t appears that
twelve years ago the State licensed seven
otteries. The one that gained the chief
hold was the Frankfort, which was char
tered for the "beneit" of the public
schools of that Capital City. 1t fell into
the hands of rich New Yorker, who or
gained it as a political machine He
secured the most eminent counsel bv
heavy retainers. He bribed the press, as
one of the proprietors of great journal
has confessed, by weekly stipends. He
employed the shrewdest agents and then
began to bid defiance to the State
Last winter the new influence secured
the passage of laws extending and enlarg-
ing its privileges 1t crushed out all the
.anti-lottery measures in the Legislature.
1t extended its operations to Louisville,
and beca;ne the chief factor in the APP
poiutment and removal of policemen and
the selection of local magistrates. 1t be-
came, in short, "boss" before which all
the politicians and aspirants for Office
were expected to do obeisance
this winter some curious individuals
Laatet np he facts relative to the "bene-
~ eeeiyed by the schools, and it was dis
covefed hat while the lottery people had
cleare1 up 100000, the Frankfort
schools had received less than $4,000 in
The twelve years. A strong sentiment
throughout the State had meanwhile
developed against the concern, and all The
lesser ones related to the system, and
most OF the legislators came up to Frank
fort instructed by the people to kill off the
institutions. At once the lottery sharps
set abont to defeat all such legislation
They managed to bring about DELAYS that
the Legislature could not understand
The anti-lottery bills and the resolutions
for investigation into certain serious
charges, hung fire in the committees in
the strangest way, and good deal of in
dignation was openly expressed that the
power the Legislature had created was
able to defy it. At this, the lottery men
took alarm and approached Senators with
brides to vote down the anti-lottery bills.
But one of these Senators went to the Gov
ernor and revealed the attempt, an inyesti-
CATION was at once set on foot, and it
developed that others had been offered
heavy money brides to vote against the re-
pealing bills; some State candidates for
offices had also been approached. This
was more than the Legislature could bear,
and the Senate last week called back its
measures, passed the anti-lottery bills and
sent them to the House, where five of them
have been reported favorably, and will as
certainly pass as that the sun will rise 1t
is probable that the three remaining bills,
which repeal all the license laws for gam
ing, will also be reported and passed.
in one of the legislative movements to
get at the facts about the lottery business,
the managers of the concerns were called
before committee of the Senate TO
answer questions. But the creature of the
Legislature had grown, in its own estima-
ton, superior to its creator, and refused to
be Intercepted. The Senate had, there
fore, to pass bills to punish this con
tumacy. 1t was at that point where the
lottery men attempted to bride Legislators,
thus laying on the straw that broke the
camel's back and brought about the whirl-
wind of repeating and prohibitory bills
that were passed by the Senate and are
now before the House. The people of
Kentucky are greatly stirred up over the
matter and have resolved, with practical
unanimity that they have had enough of
the lottery license system; that it is vicious
in any and every form; corrupting and
demoralizing from A to the end Of the
alphabet, and that no contribution to the
funds of the State can at all compensate
for the infamy.
One OF the most persistently advanced
and urgent arguments used by the lottery
people in Kentucky is, that if the lottery
chase Of lottery tickets will not be killed,
and that the money of the people will be
sent out to other States where lotteries are
authorized, therefore Kentucky had as
we'll have the revenue rs to permit other
States TO secure it, and at the same time
she will keep her peoples money at home.
The response to this spccious and ingeni-
Gus plea, and which has been advanced
even in California in advocacy Of propo-
sition to license lotteries here, is made
without hesiiancy by the Kentuckians-
that the moral effects OF the presence of
the lottery system ia the statute books and
OF its legalizaiion, are such, that no amount
OF revenue can compensate for it; that ii
ii is true that "peopie viii gamble any
how the daty Of Kentucky is not TO be a
party to the evil by affirmative processes
under the law, nor otherwise; that if
every State and community shielded in
fanny behind such excuses as that offered,
there would be no condemnation of any
wroag doing; that the true method for the
general suppression Of the lottery infamy
is for all to do as Kentucky is doing; in
short, it is right to condemn the lottery,
and that is enough to know. This stand
by the State will have a wide and import
ant influence throughout the Union, and
will unquestionably be followed by Louis
lana ard Montana, the last homes of the
lottery shame. Whether it will be able to