Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,


900 to 81, $4,000 This will probably go
through both Houses. In the committee
Senator Provosky declared that the New
gass English Syndicate was prepared to pa y
81, 800, 900 for the lottery privilege and he
tried to amend the bill by increasing the
license of the Louisiana State Lottery to 81 :
500, 900, but he was voted down, The COM
mittee taking the view that the Newgass
Syndicate was incensed and that its bid was
not genuine one.
The case against Mr.. Saint Armant, the
representative from Ascension Parish.
charged with receiving bribe of SIG, 0OO
from the lottery company, came up in the
District Court in Baton Rouge last night.
The Attorney General refused to take part
in the prosecution. The State had no wit
nesses to offer and the District Attorney at
once nolle pressed the case. 1t is probable
that the charge against Saint Armsnt will
be made the subject OF legislative inyesti'
cation. 1t is also proposed to inyestigat
Judge Strikland, who is charged with bull
dozing Legislators, threatening them with
arrest, like Saint Armant, if they voted for
the lottery.
RICH ENOUGH TO PAY IT.
That the lottery company so cheerfully
consents to the addition of quarter million
to its burden is not so surprising when II IS
considered that it does far larger business
than the Monaco casino; and it has prae-
tically driven the Hamburg, Royal Havana
and other lotteries out of this country and
Canada. Its scheme provides for 3l2 daily
and 12 monthly drawings annually, as fol-
lows: Two grand extraordinary semi-annual
drawings, with 100, 900 tickets each Of $40,
yielding, if all the tickets are sold, 5000, 0OO
Ten monthly drawings with 100, 900 tickets
each of 500, yielding S20,000,000. Three
hundred and twelve daily drawings with
about 70, 900 tickets at 81 each, only q small
proportion of which are sold; besides policy
tickets without limit.
The total in the scheme is S51 ,332, 900, if
all the tickets are disposed of. The daily
drawings, however, cut but small figure
to-day, the tickets being sold exclusively in
Louisiana and mainly in New Orleans; and
the monthly drawing has become the prin-
cipaI source of revenue Of the company.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND DAY.
Between 65 and 70 per cent Of the
monthly tickets are sold, producing gross
revenue of SIS, $40, 600 year. The lottery
company pays back 52H per cent of the
money it receives, in prizes, ranging in
value from $40 to $500, ,o00-the number Of
prizes for each drawing being 3,124; 10 per
cent to dealers or clubs, 10 per cent for or
dinary and per cent tor extraordinary ex-
penses, leaving net profit of So, ,258, 800 on
the monthly drawings, which is half as
much again as the Monaco casino takes in.
The daily drawing brings in 81, ,1S7, 800
gross and S368, ,125 net, making the total
annual profits of the company So, ,626, 625,
which is increasing at the rate of from 10 to
20 per cent year.
The tickets are sold in halves, quarters
tenths, twentieths and fortieths. About 15,-
000. 900 "pieces" of the monthly tickets are
disposed of annually, OF which 1850, 900
are sold outside of Louisiana, or about
200, 900 a month mainly in the United
States and Canada. 1t is safe, therefore, to
place the number of lottery players in this
country outside of Louisiana who buy one
or more tickets year, at 4, 600, 600 to 5,OO0,-
600, all OF whom are interested in the ques-
ton Of extending the lottery's charter.
BEGINNING OF ITS TROUBLES.
1t was in 1877 that Postmaster General
Key started crusade against the lottery.
The United States Revised Statutes deny
the use of the mail to all fraudulent lot.
terry companies" The Postmaster General
took the position that all lotteries were
fraudulent, and refused the Louisiana COM
pany the privilege of the mails. 1t pro-
tested against the course, declaring that it
was regularly chartered institution, hon.
estly and fairly conducted. The matter
pany being represented at Washington by
the leading lawyers in the country, includ-
ing two Senators; but Key stood firm, and
his ruling prevails to-day
No letter addressed to the lottery COM
pany or its President is delivered. It is
stamped fraudulent" and returned to the
sender. Postmaster General Wanamaker
declares that while the lottery company
does not receive its mail directly, it gets it
indirectly through the New Orleans banks;
and he suggested that Congress do something
in this matter; but 1t has tailed to do any
thing, and it refused also Mr.. Keys PROPOSE
tiOn to strike fraudulent" from the statute
book; and, thus prevent all lotteries, whether
fraudulent or not
ALWAYS LOOSE PURSE STRING.
Trouble with the United States author
ities was soon followed by still more seri-
Gus one at home, in Louisiana, which very
nearly wrecked the company. But with
skillful lobbying and unparalleled gener-
osity it has so lar conquered every obstacle.
III consequence oi It's uOn3tlonS, the lottery
became so popular in Louisiana thar it was
suggested to Mr.. John A. Morris, its mana
ger, some months ago, that instead of allow
ing the charter to lapse in 1894, be might
get it extended.
To do this, it was necessary for the Legis.
lature OF 1890 to pass a constitutional
amendment changing Article 236 OF the
Constitution, which prohibits lotteries after
1894, and to submit it to the popular vote
at the next general State election, which
occurs in 1892. The policy of iberality
was at once adopted.
THE GIFTS LAST MARCH.
The high water which came in March
gave it another chance to display its gener-
osity. 1t gave $4,000 to New Orleans for
its levees and prevented the overflow OF the
town; followed this up with gilt of $780,
900 to the State for levees. The Governor
refused 10 accept this money, and it was
then rendered to the police juries or country
boards, and accepted by them. The COM
pany spent in all close on $500, 900 on the
overflow.
In the meanwhile. however, a serious OPP
position had been developed. 1t began with
the ministers, who organized an Evangelical
Anti-Lottery League. Sam Jones was
brought down here to declaim against the
lottery. Sermons were preached against it,
and from this came the fierce struggle now
waging in the Legislature.