St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-08
BITTER WORDS THESE.
Louisiana's Governor Puts
His Mark of Disapproval
on the Lottery Bill.
The State, He Says, Is Part
ner in a Gambling En-
terprise.
No Good Will Come Of the
Millions to Be Paid by
Morris.
An Era Of Corruption and
Degradation Will Be En-
tered Upon Soon.

BATON ROUGE, La, July Gov.
Nichols this afternoon returned to the
house the lottery bill without his ap-
proval. The subjoined is his veto:
To the Honorable, the Speaker and
Members of the House Of Represent
es-Gentlemen: l have had under
consideration bill which originated in
the house of representatives entitled an
act providing for the submission to the
electors of the state for adoption or re-
lection an amendment to the constitu-
ton of the state, by inserting therein
an article on levees, schools, charities,
pensions, drainage, lotteries and gen.
eral fund, which l return to
your honorable body without my
approval and signature, and with
the following as my objections thereto:
In the message which | submitted to
the general assembly at the opening OF
the present session, | referred at some
length and by anticipation to measure
which felt satisfied would be placed
before it for coDSideratiOn-an attempt
on the part of the lottery company to
extend or renew its charter. assigned
various reasons why proposition look
lottery should be instantly rejected, and
why a legaliZatiOn at the time and in
the manner and form in which it would
undoubtedly be sought to be brought
before it would be fraught with
Danger and Disaster.
warned the general assembly as to
what, in my opinion. would be the in
evitable result of such legalization, not
ba iot nd
prosperity of our people, but upon their
social and political condition, and not
only upon the honor and good name, but
upon the peace of the state. was not
in error as to the bringing forward of a
proposition for lottery privileges. The
bill which has been submitted to me for
executive approval. and which l now
return, evinceS that fact, and the
conclusions reached upon it up
to the Present time by the general
assembly. 1t becomes now my duty
TO urge by way of executive
objection what have heretofore urged
under Act No. II of the constitution, by
way of executive counsel. Taking up
that portion of my message alluded to,
which had references to the lottery
question generally, | make it part of
this, my present message, and the rea-
sons therein brought forward against a
favorable consideration of any lottery
proposition, are now presented as direct
objections made by me to the bill pre-
sented to me. Ny views, as heretofore
expressed, not only remain unchanged,
but my conviction has deepened and
strengthened during the session of the
general assembly. If, in the discus
sion of
This Lottery Question,
in my first message l failed to do so in
connection with the financial condition
of the state, it is because, in my Opin-
ion, in point of fact, there was no Oc-
casion for SO doing. The persistent ef-
Louisiana as pauper, unable by and
through her legitimate resources to suS-
tain and carry out the duties of her
statehood, are utterly without fOunda-
tion. The reports of the treasurer and
auditor of the state show this. The re-
ports of the board of administrators Of
the various charitable and educational
and other public institutions, and those
of the various committees OF this very
general assembly sent to examine
into the situation and condition
of these institutions, all show it.
The state and the different parishes of
this state were never since the war IN
better condition than they are to-day:
Moving forward to an era of assured
prosperity. Suddenly the dark shadow
of deep disgrace is thrown across their
path, and the honor of Louisiana, MAIN
tanned in the past on the field and in the
council by the patriotism and the valOr
and the sacrifice of her SONS, living and
dead, is TO be tarniShed forever, her
tested, not by what she has been eX-
allied and justly prOud-but in the dust,
as the degenerate partner i'll gambling
corporation, designed, organized and to
be carried out, not for her good or adj
vancement, but, as l have before said,
for the personal and selfish interests OF
A Handful of Men,
many of them connected with the dark
est days OF the reconstruction period.
| repeat, it is for them, and to them, we
are selling out our birthright for mess
of pottage. Who are the six unnamed
men who are to join with seventh and
known one to constitute the new lottery
company? How comes it that we are
not Informed as to their identity, and
enabled to know their antecedentS and
fix their records. There is a world of
meaning in that silence. In the most
trifling affairs of life men seek to know
with whom they deal. How comes 1T
that in matter of this Importance the
general assembly has been willing up
to now to close its eyes and move
blindly in the dark? | call upon it
to pause before it takes finally
that step and plunges this state
into untold trouble. Is there
nothing significant in the vote by which
this bill has passed? the exact twO-thirds
vote in each house, and nothing deeply
significant in twelve of the votes In the
house and four of the votes in the SEN
reached. Is not the future fOreshad-
owed? To me it most certainly is. 1
say to this general assembly in all ear
nestneSs that should this measure be
passed we will enter upon period of
strife such as has never been seen be-
fore in Louisiana, and should this con-
templated corruption ever be formed,
upon an era of corruption and degrade
ton, beside which the era of recOnstruc-
ton will appear as one of honor and
happiness. And let me say to you that
should this measure be adopted and car
ried out, in my opinion,
No Good Will Ever Come
Of the money which we will receive as
tEe price of our honor and our liberty.
Extravaganza, profigacy and corrup-
tion will assuredly follow the receipt as
night follows day. [ feel thoroughly
satisfied that the effect of the adoption
of the measure will be that, while the
six-mill tax would be kept up, there will
be an immediate falling off in the legis-
latiye appropriations for charitable and
other purposes for which this money
will have been directed to be applied,