The Washington critic., 1890-02-24
OPINION OF MERCHANTS
THEY CONDEMN THE LOUISIANA
LOTTERY COMPANY.

1t Injuries the City's Business enpie
GO without the Necessaries of Life
TO Buy Tiokets--Some of the Names
Given It,
The estimation in which the Lousi-
ana Lottery is held by representative
business men in Washington is shown
in the interviews printed below These
show that the great majority of those
holding positive views on the subject
are opposed to the lottery, and recog
nize the fact that 1t affects business
injuriously by carrying away large
sums of money that should be spent
here. Very few are willing to express
approval of it.
WILLIAM BALLANTYNE-I have no
means of knowing much about the
amount of money that is sent out of
town for lottery tickets; but l am OPP
posed to gambling in any form and
think the laws against it should be en-
forced. l have reason to believe that
very many people here dabble in
Louisiana Lottery tickets, but | doubt
whether enough money is spent in that
way to affect business very much.
LANsBuRGH & Bro. The Louisiana
Lottery is great tizzle. Probably
there are few in our employ who do not
invest in it, and they are Just throwing
their money away, for they never get
cent of it back. The thing is simply a
public nuisance.
GEORGE RYNEAL-The lottery is
very injurious to general business, in
my opinion, for the immense amount
of money spent upon it in Washington
is so much thrown away.
S. AsHMAN-I really think more
money comes in from the lottery than
goes out toward it. They don't ask
anybody to play, and 1t is better to in
=, vest dollar in lottery ticket than for
whisky
= A. III. STRAsBURGER-The trouble
= is that the lottery catches the poorest
classes, who very often, | believe, 60
without the necessaries of life in order
TO purchase the tickets. 1t has de-
moralizing effect generally, and THE
{ CRITIC deserves credit for the manner
in which 1t is fighting it.
LOUIS HEILBRUN-I am opposed to
lotteries on general principles. The
Louisiana swindle takes great deal of
money out of town and very little of it
gets back. 1t is. therefore, a bad thing
for business.
MIR. RoBINsoN--I don't know much
about the effect of the lottery on
general business. but do know that it
is an infamous concern, and THE CRITIC
deserves great credit for the stand 1t has
taken on this subject There is scarcely
o store in town where lottery tickets
are not bought, and they might as well
be thrown into the fire. | am glad to
be given this opportunity of placing
myself on record as opposed to this
gigantic fraud
PERCY METZGER-Lottery is a vice,
in the sense that it upsets the equili-
brium and steady going habits of the
masses. Every person who purchases
a lottery ticket is not only throwing his
or her money away in hopeless effort
to gain riches, but far worse, in help.
ing to bring up u nation of gamblers.
Youths see their elders indulging in
such practice, and hear rumor of
J some one drawing prize from lottery
(Which rumor ninety nine chances out
of one hundred is either false entirely
or greatly exaggerated), and rush with
: their little savings, oftentimes their last
cent TO buy lottery ticket. Thou
sands of dollars is monthly sent from
this city for such schemes, and little or
none returns. Lotteries never made a
community rich, and never will
commend the course of THE CRITIC
and trust may see lottery concerns shut
up their doors for want of patronage.
A. L. HAzLEToN-I don't know very
much about the lottery's effect on bust
ness, but Judging from what | see in
hn OH Az Il I oh
say that Washington gives the concern
great deal of money, and ii is per-
haps an injury to Legitimate business.
l have no doubt that it is what influ-
cnccs so many of the people in this
town to try to live without paying their
bills. All gambling schemes must, of
course, have more or less demoral-
izing effect.
JOHN II. MAGRUDER-I have always
understood that lotteries are bad thing
for the whole country. No lottery, OF
fair for lottery purposes. is allowed IN
this District, but it is surprising the
amount of money that is sent out of
this city 10 lotteries. | think they are
worse than a circus for that. II has a
strong tendency to injure business, and
takes money principally out of the
pockets of poor people who cannot af.
ford to lose it. Almost no money a,
all comes back to represent the large
amount drawn from circulation here.
+. S. HUTCHINsoN-I think if they
can Danish the sale of lottery ticket!
from the District it will be a gooC
thing. Lotteries are great damage t.
the poorer classes. think that money
enough goes out of the city monthly tC
Sinjure the volume of business, but the
injury TO morals is greater. think the
lottery business does as much damage
as the whisky business. / doubt il
they will be able to get rid of it.
think the business has already become
too large for Congress to handle.
W. HENDERSON MosEs-I most em
phatically think that the sale of lottery
tickets is detrimental to the business o
any city or town, more especially so il
this city, as we are so largely depend
ent on the Department clerks salary
and he has so much time on his hands
as rule, that he is more apt TO try th
chances of speculation than the labor
ing man, who is the mainstay of bus
ness in other cities. favor any mea
sure before Congress looking to il
abolition.
=. B. HAvENNER--I think lotterie
are bad thing. They take too mucl
money away from the District. thin
the sale of them in Washington shoul
be stopped.
A. M. LoTHRoP-There is no doul
that lotteries are bad thing for VAST
ington. They take great deal {
money out of the city. 1t would t
better for the city and the people if th
sale of lottery tickets could be stoppe
in the District.
RrN1ANl1N w GrY-I thinl, lntteril