St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-06-21
The Lottery Again !! !!

&S AAo ih SFShy ItHpUI tdut uuCStlOI, Ill ut
Eexcitement exists which we think
&entirely out of place, because prem;
9ture. We hold it to be wise to get t
the bridge before crossing il. Whel
Il ever the question of rcchartering tl
81 Louisiana State Lottery comes Defo1
: the people in such form az to allow the1
to vote on it, it will be in order for thos
@who oppose it to mount the summit G
Htheir political purity and speak in thun
n der tones against it. The people wi
Hthen be ready and willing to hear an
ITO weigh all they may have to say. Tn
atll then these apocalyptic beings ma
Hvociferate as Justify as they choose, an,
: pour out the contents Of all the vias 0
satfeir wrath. Both will be lost, for th
9people riH soon, or late, now, or at tE
8uext election of Representatives, speal
ssfor themselves, decide for themselves
saand treat the muttcrings of thes,
s'usurpers on the throne of State" as W.
think they should.
n In our view the question now before
9the General Assembly il, "Shall the peo.
sple be permitted by it, in the Constitu,
atOnat form, to consider whether they
will recharter the Louisiana State Lot,
terry, or shall it usurp all dominion over
lit?
Shall they be consulted, or shall the
General Assembly bc permitted to ac
4 independently of them while announ-
Icing to the world their belief that the
people are too corrupt to be trusted
with their own concerns?
In our view the people alone have the
right to determine the question. In our
opinion it were downright usurpatioDs
TO attempt to deny it. They will settle
lit, and that, too, in their own way un-
der the constitution. The General AS
sembly may refuse to pass an enabling
act, but, if it does, those who are in
in it will find the people. /
masseG at the ballot box to assert theil !
sovereignty. Then woe be unto those
who endeavor to battle and to withholdb
from them the exercise of it.
The teri continually preached from is I
hat the influence of the Lottery will be
irresistible in all popular elections, il
he General Assembly of the State, and
n the election of Congressman, &c.
Such influence, if possible, (Which We
leny) must result from the use of mo-
ley. viii our Purists be frank enough
o say--to tell the people why CAM &
'aign fund is raised by The political par
les at each recurring election ii it be I
ot, in very great part, to influence elec Il
ions ? Will they, or can they pretend &
hat, to corrupt the people with the 3
fund, is right, whilst it were q
readful to influence them with funo q
rom the Lottery 7 @
Will these Furists stand up and sa, 3
hey are opposed to campaign fund IS
When was an election ever held in this
tate, since 1910, without the prodigal lE
lavish use of one 2 without requiring,
ca, eracting of candidates a contrbu- 81
on to such q fund.- This has been
Ding on for so years in Louisiana. Did
OF money tell With most miraculous u
over in the Presidential election of B
IA? What of its influence in the State &
ection of 1876, who used it and who III
ave it7 Need we stop to tell 3? In II
40, the Whig majority in Louisiana Ii
as $3.50, but in 1874, when money was Sss
ought to the rescue, and was dis ID
,nsed SO opportunely in Plaquemine, IL
only one man, the Democratic ma e
rity was 500. In 1s4s, the fund was @p
1t so available and the Whig majority I
It back to 2S47. II
Now, all these instances (and we Be
lght mention many others) Of the use ~
money to influence elections are con 10
ned. These Purists know, as well as
hers, that at every election they, in
mmon with others, raise and use ali Il
3 money they can, with which to in q
ence elections. All, however, is right a]
long as the Purists do it, and get the =
neft CT it. They claim the right tn
,nopolize the use of it in all elections 81
say they cannot and will not trust.
> people with it. That, il money ISL
be raised and used in elections, it is
be done exclusively by them. With
,m the end justifies the means, butt
th all others it is heinous falacy 8w
this is said on the hypothesis that
at these Purists say touching the i'll
ence the Lottery will WELD in futnre &N,
ctions is correct. This we do DotN
nit however, for it must be self-eyi. q :,
1t that, after paying $1,O0O,O00 an g,
ally, the company will hardly extend leo
liberality in influencing elections. hi
'uld it become permanently estab- 81
led in the Constitution for a period :
twenty-five years. What stimulat- vii
motive could it have for doing so Til ?@di,
ce securely established, it will act on 81 81
little boys proposition if you let :
lone it will let elections alone. ]
i've the people the constitutional lGr Geh
hority to speak for themselves and b {
not arrogate to yourselves the power wi
peak for them.
NOTICE. {