The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-08-22

nant politicians of both political PARTIES
of nominations to the Legislature. The
market value Of their stock has risen from
s35 per share, in 1879. to 200 per share,
| in 1890; so that now it is more than double
that of the whole banking capital of the
State.
They have built up the original capital
which was never subscribed, and have ac-
cumulated an enormous surplus, OF un-
known amount, while declaring dividends
Of 50 to 100 per cent. per annum. The
scheme of their drawings has increased
from monthly capital prize of 100000 to
monthly capital prize of 100000, and a
semi-unnual prize of $GO0,O0
The aggregate of the schemes Of the
monthly and semi-annual drawings is the
fabulous sum of $2S,000,000 per annum,
and the aggregate of their daily drawings
is over $20.000000 more. They receive
annually 81, 250.OO0 from the written poll
cies sold ON the numbers of the daily
drawings, apart from the sale of the rcgu-
lar printed tickets. They receive annually
about $22 900, 900 from their monthly and
semi-annua drawings The schemes of
the last drawings are so arranged that
they can sell - per cent. of their tickets,
pay 10 per cent. for selling them, lose ali
the prizes provided for in the schemes,
pay 81 ,000, 900 for expenses, and still make
| s3,000,0OO profit per annum.
SLIM CHANCES OF WINNING.
We make no idle assertion when We de-
nouncc these schemes rs fraudulent. Even
from lottery standpoint this company
offers to distribute less than 33 per cent
in prizes. No authorized lottery on earth
that VIC know of, outside Of Mexico, is
allowed to distribute less than 10 per
cent. The chance to win a prize Of any
sort in one of these drawings is about one
in thirty, whereas if it were an honest
lottery it would be at least one in ten.
These were the reasons which induced
two postmasters-genernl Of the United
States to exclude it from the mails as
fraudulent lottery. What is known Us the
daily drawing takes place every day except
Sunday-,l3 per annum. The scheme is
based on the ternary combination Of the
natural numbers from | to IS, and on some
days from to -. giving in the one case
1906, and in the other 81 .525 different
combinations of three numbers each.
The prizes paid are out of all honest
proportion to the cost of tickets or the
chances of winning. For instance, for
dollar ticket the chance of winning II
prize of IS cents is one in three; winning
prize Of 81 10 one in nineteen, and of
winning prize Of $4.25 one in ,23T. In
addition to these printed tickets, written
policies or bets OIL the numbers of the
daily drawings ore taken at the fancy of
. l,ntt., y.;tI N parcnrfonn of frnrn
to Al per cent. in favor of the lottery.
WHERE THE MONEY CONES FROM.
We have the authority Of the lottery
that 90 per cent. of this enormous revenue
of So, 000, 600, u revenue greater than that
of any FIVE average States in this Union,
comes from the people of this country
outside of the State of louisiana because
its advocates have the cffrontery to use
this fact as an argument for its rechartcr
by the people of the State of Louisiana.
While the United States Post Office De-
partment is the principal instrument of
its robbery Of the people outside of Lou
isiana, yet the express companies also
lend material aid Being itself excluded
from the mails az fraudulent lottery, it
skuks under the individual namo of its
president and the name of national bank
chartered by the national government.
1t is estimated nat onr-third of the whole
local mul muttcr tina. Iasses through the
New Orleans post otfre is lotter! mai,
and hat $50, 900 per diem in postal notes
and money orders are paid to it's stalking
horse bank.
Th' temptation to continue to emass
thi' .scaith has induced these lottery p.o-
yle to yiolnt, III iheir promise ard
pledges made to tine 'raE.ers u. ;he con
s.itution and TO the people of l.caiss IL,
, reiterated gain and again to its political
lealerf, and in pursuance OF the broken
faith q, have prcc: pitated the tfes.n,
| conflict b. agitating for renewal OF the
charter This agitation has drawn the
attention of the good people of this State
hitherto sleeping, to the history and act-
of the Louisiana Lottery and the result o.
the investigation by the Legislature just
adjourned.
Attempt has been made to submit
constitutional amendment to he voted on
by the people in 1892, giving to John a.
Morris, member of the original gam
bling syndicate Of 1866, one Of the origi-
nal promoters of the Louisiana Lottery
Company, and now its lessee and largest
stakeholder, and his unnamed associates,
the exclusive privilege Of drawing lotteries
in Louisiana for twenty-five years from
January 1894, in consideration of the
payment to the State Of 81 ,250,000 per
annum.
MIGHTY FORCE TO COMBAT.
There ure no limitations on this pro-
posed grant There are no penalties for
its abuse. 1t is placed beyond the regu-
lating power of the Legislature. All
amendments tending to prevent the draw
ing of fraudulent lottery schemes were
voted down. This vast corrupt money
power is TO be confronted; we know that
we have battle to fight such as no peo-
Pile ever fought before. But this fight is
not only ours, but yours also. Aside from
the pollution of its presence, q great part
of the harm done and to be done by this
robber of the people is against our sister
States of the Union.
If the faint of State-organized crime
could be confined within the limits Of the
organizing State the evil might be small
and the ground Of complaint local, but
we protest that it is against the funda-
mental principles of this Union and vio-
lative of the sacred sisterhood Of! the
States that one Of their number should,
for pittance of revenue, allow piratical
corporation to prey upon the ignorance,
the credulity, and the cupidity Of the
citizens of the other States, and to scat
ter its millions broadcast through the
land to violate their laws.
II any State il so shameless thus to asaI