The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-02
LOTTERY COMPANIES.
President HarrisOn's Message 10 Con.
gresS on the Subject.

President Harrison sent the follow
ing message to congress on the 29th.
TO the senate and house Of represent
atives: The recent attempt to secure
chaarter from the state of North
Dakota for lottery company, pend
ing the effort to obtain from the state
of Louisiana a renewal of the charter
of the Louisiana state lottery and the
establishment OF one or more lottery
companies at Mexican towns near our
border, have served the good purpose
of calling the public attention to this
evil OF vast proportions. If the bane-
| full efforts of lotteries were confined to
the state that gave the companies cor
porate powers and license to conduct
| the business, citizens of other
states being powerless to apply
legal remedies might clear themselves
of responsibility by the use of such
| moral agencies as were within their
| reach, But the case is not SO. Peo-
pie of all states are debauched and de-
| frauded. Vast sums of money offered
| to states for charters are drawn from
the people OF the United States and
| the general government, through it's
mail system is made an effective and
| profitable medium Of intercourse be-
tween the lottery company and it's
victims. The use of the mail is
| quite as essential to the companies
| existence as q state license. 1t would
/ Il. "a.
companies TO exist If the public mails
were once effectuaily closed against
their advertisements and remittances.
The use of the mails by these compan-
| les is prostitution of the agency in
tended to serve the purpose OF legiti-
mate trade, and degrades social inter
course. Ii is not necessary, Iamsure,
1 for me to attempt to portray the rob
| berry of the poor, and the widesfhe
corruption of public and private NOR
| ais which are necessary Incidents Of
| these lottery schemes. The national
capitol has become subheadquarters
of the Louisiana lottery company and
it's numerous agents and attorneys
are conducting here a business in
volving probably n larger use of the
mails than that of any legitimate
business enterprise in the Dis.
trict OF Columbia. There seems
to be a good reason to believe that
| the corrupting touch of these agents
has been felt by clerks i'm the postal
i service and by some OF the police Off
GERS of the district. Severe and eifec-
tive legislation should be promptly
enacted TO enable the postoffice de
partment to purge the mails Of all
letters, newspapers and circulars Ne
lating TO the business. The letter OF
the postmaster general, which trans
NIT herewith, points out the made
quaey OF existing statutes and sug
gests legislation that would be effec-
| tive. IL may also be necessary To SO
regulate the carrying Of letters by ex-
| press companies as TO prevent the use
/ of those agencies [ o maintain cOmmuni-
cation between lottery companies and
their agents or customers IN other
cities. II does not seem possible that
there can be any division OF sentiment
as TO the hepropriety of closing the mails
against these companies and j there
fore venture to express the hope that
such proper powers as are necessary
TO that end will be given TO the postof-
flee department.
BENJ HARRISON
Executive mansion, July 20, 1890.
The letter Of the postmaster general
referred To by the president calls Mt.
tention To the inefiiciency OF the pres
ent law and recommends the passage
OF the anti-lottery bill, recently re-
ported to the house.