The advocate., 1890-12-17
AGAINsT LOTTERIEg on GANBLINe.

gambling or almost every KIND lmaginA-
BILE ia prohibited by the laws OF Ransas,
except that which ID lndulged In or car
rled on by railroads and express com
panIes. Our national tendency Is toward
the encouragement and destruction OF
gambling and lotteries, AZ shown by re-
cent Legislation and rulings OF the postal
department against all lotteries as we'll
az by the decisions Of the supreme court
Of the United States whenever their rul-
Ings touch upon any phase Of this ques-
tion. All Of which plainly stamps "lOt-
teries" and gambling" as wrong and
contrary to the spirit OF our civil and so-
clal being.
II we would keep pace as a state with
our progress az a nation II behooves US
10 abolish this privileged gambling OF
corporations 10 which we shall specifically
refer by legislative enactment OF our
next Legislature in substance like the
one we have outlined, and which is aa
follows:
GAMBLING IN THE SALE or UNCLAIMED
FREIGHT, BAGGAGE AND EXPRESS.
10 shall be unlawful for any railroad or express
company, doing business within the state OF
Kansas, 10 sell or offer for sale any unclaimed
freight, baggage or express In the original box,
package or covering I'm such manner ~ that
the contents OF such box, package or covering
may not be, prior 10 such sale, known 10 the
purchaser thereof Any person, company or
corporation found guilty Of violating any OF the
provisions " this act shall be fined $500 for each
and every oGense.
IL seems useless TO attempt TO prove
that the present method Of conducting
these sales, everywhere, virtually con-
verts the socalled sale into lottery
business or a gambling device No one
can be familiar with the methods used,
who will deny the fact that at these sales
boxes and packages are not permitted to
be opened or their contents known to
would-be purchasers until after their
sale, which OF itself renders the business
as much game OF chance as is the
Louisiana state lottery, or the taking Of a
chance in any gambling device.
IL is also true that every possible re-
sort Is made by skilled auctioneers and
otherwise, at these so.Called sales, to
create in the minds Of those present the
impression that every box contains a
treasure, etc, ETC., thereby inducing per-
soma TO bid, In most instances, many
times more than the actual value of the
purchase.
We fancy we hear 1t urged in opposi-
tlon to this, that il they did 80 bid, 1t was
their own free will, their own business,
nobody forced them, etc. What Of that?
Cannot the same be said regarding the
taking Of chances In the Louisiana state
lottery, three card monte, etc9 Nobody
forces men to indulge In them, and yet
or laws are emphatic against them.
Why our laws should protect one man or
set Of men and permit another, we do
not understand. Let us see briefly
what our laws do say on this question.
The constitution declares that lotteries
are prohibited. Our statute under "Vari-
GUS Offonsea," page S49, says: "Tf any
one shall advertise lotteries he shall be
deemed guilty OF a misdemeanor and
fined not less than fifty nor more than
one thousand dollars, or imprisonment or
BOTH
This act also prohibits gambling,
by any officer Of the state, or the en-