The Opelousas courier., 1890-09-27
A Plea fOT. Justice.

ing friends in town,
A Plea for Justice
EpIroRs COURIER: In its issue of the 9th
September the st. Landry Democrat publishes
q TRADE by one j, j. Lyons against Governor |
Nichols and Judge White for accepting a prof.
fered contribution of John A. Morris to the
the Democrat gives these mouthings his ap,-
proval and speaks of the beautiful and sensl
BILE language in which they are couched. Mr.
Lyons is evidently lottery man. His whole
letter exhibits a veneration for the lottery as
a great educational and charitable" institu- |
ton He is further a Christian gentleman,
member of the Church. He must therefore
object to the lottery on principle, though,
speaking from the standpoint OF necessity,
he concludes it is better to accept the lottery
proposition though we must necessarily saerl-
flee priaeiple to erpediency This is the most
that he can charge Coy. Nichols and Judge
White with doing. With what grace can he
charge these gentlemen with ignoring princl-
Pile to follow expediency, when he is doing the
very same thing People that live in glass
houses should not throw stones. do not see
how Gov. Nichols and Judge White can be
blamed for accepting an unsolicited contrlbu-
| tion from John A. Morris to assist their can
yass, especially when Mr.. Morris promised
never to ask for a reeharter of his lottery.
Gov Nichols and Judge White agreed not to
4
| view of the contention and trouble which the
/ present proposition has caused, am not dis
| posed to blame them for not wishing to inject
| this inhammatory issue in an already too heat
| ed campaign and which came so near disrupt
1 ing the Democratic party. Besides 1T was
| not likely that they could succeed III dlslodg-
! ing the lottery company which, being imbed-
ded in the Constitution, would have to control
| only thirty-thfee members OF the House and
/ twelve of the Senate to retain its hold. For
! yUh
result in nothing save turmoil and strife, Gov.
Nichols and Judge White obtained-lst,
contribution of $4,000 to the Campaign Com
1 mittee, and I'd, the promise of the lottery
chief that he would not apply for recharter
of his company. Mr. Morris has broken his
word his promise was not kept. That por-
/ tion of the consideration of the compact
i which portion was to enure entirely TO the
benefit of the people-has failed through MT.
Morris more than punic want OF good faith.
But has not the other part of the considerar
tion enured partly to the benefit of the people
and partly to the benefit of the peoples de-
Tenders in this great crisis, Francis Il NICHOLS
and Il. ID. White The money which raised
them to the governorship and the Senate has
resulted In placing them in positions OF power
and on a vantage ground where they may Ibe
and are of inestimable service to the people IN
/ defeating measure which it is now the high
est aud purest hope of Louisiana, may be ut
terly and forever destroyed. The lottery ls
| Wh1DpeQ W1GH 1LS OWL uHU0ys It's idtO 10 heA q
i but Just. 1t is the case of Acteon eaten up Dy
his own dogs. know no principle OF practl-
, cal morals which is violated when unsolicited
assistance is protfered and accepted without
, promise of support, either expressed or I'M
, piled. Ii the lottery and it's advocates con
|, tend that there was a tacit or express obilga.
tion on the part of Gov. Nichols and Judge
White to support the lottery, they admit that
the attempt was made to bribe these gentle
men. This is not unlikely SO. This gentee
J way of buying men is the favorite method
pursued by the company in making proselytes
Large sums of money are also loaned by this
, | company or its managers at rldiculously Low
! rates of interest on long termsi! For my
part, / put the case OF Gov. Nichols ant
Judge White on the same plane as the CATER,
|. incident in Franklin. Some lottery men arr
, sore because Don Caffery is an an4i-lottery
|. man. and hold that Mr.. Morris liberal terms
! with him in the purchase of his property en-
| | titles Mr. Morris to his valuable services as
champion of the g revenue proposition" Mr
! Gallery very properly declines to conside
! himself bought by Morris profuse generosit.
and reserves the right to oppose the lotter.
, | measure lie Mr.. Morris is 80 base as to al
! tempt to buy him under cover of an honorabl
! | transaction, he deserves nothing better thal
g to be gouged heavily. Attempting to work
o. dishonorable scheme, he gets q blow in tn
eye. He is fairly treated In regard to til
: employment of lottery money in their own be
g | half by Gov. Nichols and Judge White, l sa
that they were not only blameless in doing sc
but, in view of the service they have done t
;, the people in fighting the Lottery Co., the eff
Y cacy of which service has been greatly il
I creased by the power aud prestige of their pr
e sitions, obtained by lottery Help, they woult
G have been recreant to their duty had they dt
o clined it. No other administration would hay
so faithfully and efficiently championed th
q true cause of the people. Lottery money bear
3 no inherent taint, but if its acceptance an
- noe ore iufanda1 ff1 4craatn an ohfipafjnu ia
s ward the company, then it is thrice cursed.
q can never ba touched with honor. But Co
/ Nichols and Judge White used lottery none
spontaneously and unconditi0nally contribu
ed, nay even with the promise that this Stai
. would be spared the present heated agitation
le But for lottery perfidy, this State would nj
y now be convulsed from end to end. We shOul
Q have peace If it is contended that one sh0ul
not receive assistance from those whose d
y signs he does not faver, merely say that th
le principle is just too refined, metaphysical an
!, highfown for application in practical life. I'll
. editor Of the Democrat has himself doubles
ib in the course of his political career aceeptf
the support Of men whom he knew he con
not support in return. IT lie were to run f
|y Governor att the next election, would he n
If accent ioyfnlly the support of all witho
!, thereby ineurring any obligation to rewa
every one who supported him with the vie
e. of obtaining in return political fayors fro
him Do not candidates for office, from Pre-
ff i ldEnt down to Justice OF EII0 Ioacof dcce
= support from some of those whom they kno
W they will disappoint The high standard
q ethics according to which the editor OF =
he St. Landry Democrat and Mr. j. J. Lyo
would have the world guided would regul
that every fair-m1nded candidate say to tho
whom lie does not intend to reward ca
OF not give you Office or other guild pro quo
to your support. You assist me in this canva
Il I at your own risk If the editfg 1f the Den
! erat and Mr. Lyons blame Gos. Nichols a
= Judge White for taking lottery money to
ne ploy it benefciaIlY both to the people
is themselves, their standard of ethics is qu
IN too high for modern pelitica--in fact, Tor
~ most every relation of modern lite. In regs
Y. to Mr. Lyons Parthian shot about Gov. III
OE oils and Judge Whites & sdishonorable oc
0n patton of efficeg of trust and honor moth
ta need be said. He is entitled to his opInit
but IN the hearts of large majority OF
people of Louisiana the names of Francis
an Nichols and E. D. White are held in deser.
ti- veneration for their ability, their unsuIl
Of integrity of character, their fearless aud br
lalI discharge of duty. can readily understl
ion how these gentlemen excite very little ent
md siasm among lottery advocates, because
ON. one struck them powerful. staggering 2
lib his able message to tho General Assem-
and the other in q great speech tore to anI
and every vestige of lottery arguments amid
ads spIendOrs OF an eloauenee seldom surpasse
Tsnussia1aa HENRY i. GARLAND, j