The weekly messenger., 1890-04-26
Shall The State License a
Lottery?

Al the approaching session of the Gen
eral Assembly Of Louisiana, a PROPOSE
ti"n will he submitted by Mr.. John A.
Morris. to pay the State l2,5OO.OOO for
the privilege of maintaining lottery
for the period of twenty-five years.
The license of S5OOOC0 per annum.
thus offered to be paid, is to be devoted
to certain specific purposes named i'm the
proposition of Mr.. Morris. One-third O:
this sum-S16G, G,G6ti,6f- goes in block to
supplement the public school fund Of
this State; One-third goes to the support
OF certain existing cllaI tiles named i'm
the proposition, and to such other chari-
Ties as the Legislature in its wisdom
may see fit to establish; and the remain.
ing third goes to the levee system of the
State-Sl0,OOO per annmm for the con-
structiOn of levees, and s66,6G6,6 as an
emergency fund for maintenance and
repairs In periods Of high water.
This, III substance, is the offer that
will be made to the people of this State
for the privilege of maintaining lot
terry in Louisiana. The question is:
Shall the Legislature submit this pro-
position to the people, to be voted on at
the general election in 1882? The af.
firmative side of this proposition the
STATES VIII maintain. We believe that
the acceptance Of this stun Of money by
the State OF Louisiana, will relieve the
people OF the ills they now endure, which
spring frcm lack Of means to properly
provide for governmental needs.
The proposal to license lottery is not |
new thing under the sun." 1t is az
old as man himself, and does not involve
moral obliquity in any sense. A lottery
honestly conducted, is as moral busi-
ness as a bank compress or manu-.
featuring establishment There is lot
a pursuit i'll which men engage that
does not turn for success or failure upon
some element of chance. The farmer
risks the seasons and the floods; the law.
yer trusts to court and juries the issue
Df his reputation as all advocate. and
consequent advancement i'm life or retro
the physician must look for his
income to the varying and variable "ills
that flesh is heir to-" and the merchant
looks to the ever shifting phases of de-
nand and supply to determine whether
prosperity Or adversely shall be his.
There is not sphere of human activity
Which does not rest upon a basis of
'hance. The world itself is huge lot
cry shop in which farmers, lawyers.
physicians, merchants and handicrafts-
nen, buy the ticket and trust to the
ickle goddess of fortune to determine
whether their lives shall be crowned with
success or doomed to failure.
A lottery, therefore, is neither better
lor worse than any other enterprise. 1t
Legitimate sphere for the exercise of
BUSINESS talent. IL conducted with no
lesty and integrity, it involve no wrong
oing, nor the semblance of any. 1t is
lmplay and only business which
holld pay the State license propor-
ionate to its income, just as other
rades and professions are required to do
nder existing laws. There is rank alb
urdity in the contention that the runn-
ng of lottery is more immoral than
he running Of bank. The elements O.
hange in the one are substantially the
anne as in ths other, and only men who
ave lot given the subject sufficient