The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-09-25
More Paternalism.

The action of the president in sign
ing the anti-lottery bill removed all
doubt about the measure becoming a
law-if anybody had doubt, People
who have studied Mr.. Harrisons char
acter to good purpose could not have
entertained any doubts as to what he
would do. 1t is the Harrisonian style
to take kindly to such measures. A
Washington special published else
where gives some interesting informa,
ton as to the scope OF the anti-lottery
bill. Its operation will strike at a
principle that newspaper publishers
have always cOntended for with sue
cess until nCw-the right to decide
for themselves what is legitimate
advertising matter. All reputable
papers OF course decline to publish
obscene or libelous matter. No
amount OF money offered could make
such matter legitimate advertising
But now the government comes
in and says the newspapers
shall not publish matter about lot
teries. If they do they will be ex-
cludeI from the United States mails,
which of course settles the policy OF
the newspapers. There are some lot.
terry advertisements running in The
Day, but they will disappear as soon
as The bill takes effect, for The Day
proposes to obey the law. In the
meantime, however, The Day will
continue to publish the daily resume
OF figures that give aid and comfort,
because information to the gamblers
in cotton, grain, pork, lard, etc. 1t
will as usual tell all about futures,
options, puts and calls-the gambling,
OF all kinds, that worst demoralizes
business and society and wrecks
fortunes. This matter the govern
ment calls Commercial news"
and does not taboo it. The
Day may print, if it wants to, the
specious cards of fakirs and sh ,rps
who swindle people by getting them
to'buy worthless remedies, etc, and
the government will not exclude the
papers from the mails. The inhibi-
ton is against the lotteries, which the
government assumes to say to the PEG.
pie is ga snare and a delusion you
must avoid" This is the essence OF
the paternalism and inconsistency as
well. The newspapers will get along
very well without the lottery adver.
Elements, for one business lost is gen.
orally replaced by something else, but
the inconsistency of the government
tai policy is en0ught so disgust the
citizens who feels that he is compe-.
tent and has right to decided for
HIM self whether he wants to spend d
dollar for lottery ticket, or admis-
slonR to a circus or anything
else he wants. That, OIL
course, is the logic of the governments
action-to deter the citizen by shut
ting off the information he gets from
IhO PopOio duu VIC ttSc nG llldkeb vi
the mails, from buying lottery tickets.
We have no defence for the lottery Or
attack on it either. AS to dealing
with it, that is matter every indi
vidual must settle for himself. Speak
ing for itself, The Day does not hope
to get rich by investments in lottery
tickets. But we do deprecate the
policy of paternalism and inconsi.t-
ency the government displays in its
efforts to deal with the lottery ques-
ton. And we would like to know
what will be the next move of the
government in prescribing the kind OF
matter newspaper may or may not
publish under penalty of being denied
the use of the mails. This Is an en-
tering wedge. How far is it to be
driven?-Waco Day.