St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-14
The People Must Not Have n
Voice i'm the Matter.
New Iberia Enterprise.


Commenting upon the lengthy anti
lottery TRADE in Gov. Nichols, message,
Gen. Jastremski, editor of the Louisiana
Review, says:
lie then enters into an exhaustive
augmentation of the lottery question,
which contains about all the current
objections to lotteries. He combats the
proposition of Incorporating lottery
charter in the Constitution and argues
that such q matter pertains to legisla-
tive action. He urges the Legislature
to take no action whatsoever in the
matter. THE very utmost" he says,
that the Legislature could be called on
to consider would be the withdrawal
generally of the declaratory and pro-
hlbltOry clauses of the Constitution,
leaving special matters on the subject to
be disposed of after such withdrawal,
as matters OF ordinary statutory, not
constitutional legislation"
He says this, while he pronounces as
preposterous the idea that Il legislator
does not give his tacit approval to the
lottery amendment when he votes to
same reasoning would not apply if he
voted to submit to the people the pro-
position to strike out the constitutional
clauses preventing the Legislature from
granting lottery charters after 1895.
The inference naturally arises from
the Governors reasoning, that under
no circumstances should the people be
permitted to vote directly on this ques-
ton, as he fears that it would be carried
by combination of the bad elements.
In this, we must say that he is consist
ent with his course in his campaign for
the nomination, for, it will be remem-
bered, that in none of his many speeches
did he ever caution the people to elect
Senators and Representatives opposed
to the rechartering Of the lottery. Con-
| sequently the lottery, so far as be was
concerned, was given full swing, if it
chose TO take advantage OF his silence
on tho question, to quietly elect legis-
only since his election and installation
in office that the Governor has become
aroused to the baneful influences of the
lottery. He would keep it all the time
beyond the direct action of the people,
despite his many declarations that the
will Of the people would be his constant
guidance.
Now, we cannot but observe that if
the lottery is what the Governor des-
| cribes il, the worst thing that the
present Legislature could do would be
to put it in a shape to be transmitted to
the handling of future Legislatures,
which, obviously, could be more easily
influenced than the majority of the
people.
Therefore, it seems to rs that there
are but two rational ways for the
Legislature to deal with the question.
One is to squarely refuse to submit it
to the people in any shape whatsoever.
The other, to advise the applicants for
charter, to present their very best
proposition this done, to sqnarely sub
NIT the issue for final determination by
the people.
Under no consideration should the
lottery question be permitted to hang
over the General Assemblies, for there
would then exist a constant interest
with the lottery people, in the election
of legislators and public officials and
the very danger, in its worst form, that
the Governor signalizes for the future,
for had the lottery exercised this bane-
fnl influence in the past, the Governor
himself, the Senators, the Congressmep,
the Judges and other officials, who are
now directing the fight against the lot
terry, would not be in enjoyment of their
high place.