The Washington critic., 1890-02-04
EDITORIAL TIPS.

among newspapers, that It refuses the (
money OF the Louisiana Lottery Company.
In Washington every newspaper Of the
city has been under It's thumb, and, In tbs |
United States, very few have had the cour-
age TO oppose It's schemes. The company
is powerful In Congress, and. so far, every
attempt to attack it legally In the District
has been frustrated. One set Of Com
missioners succeed another, and one police
Judge is appointed to apply the law after
another, and the chiefs of police are
changed with succeeding years, but none
have found II worth while to enforce the
laws against lotteries in the District
1t is not to he alleged that our Commits
sioners, judges and police majors are pur-
chased by the lottery company; but there
has not been one official who cared enough
about the moral aspect of the matter to
move in IL eirectualy. There is law enough
to shut out the public sale of lottery tickets
in this District aud to make their sale sur
reptitiously Just as disreputa BILE and Just as
dangerous as is the sale of ''poli ,y'' or
the playing Of ''faron II Commissioner
douglass, Judge Miller, and Major Moore
for them to break up the sale Of Louisiana
lottery ticketsin this town, not another one
would be sold publicly for the next monthly
drawing.
How could It be done? Major Moore
knows that If he should he so directed he
could place policeman in front of Banker
Gould's agency, with orders to identify as
many persons as possible entering the dark
precincts Of that notable banker. The next
day, If every person 50 identified we're sum
moned to the Police Court to give testi-
mony, whether or not a lottery ticket was
purchased, ninety-nine in hundred would
tell the plain truth, without fear or favor
Who will perjnre himself To save lottery
ticket seller9 No one. The seller could be
convicted and fued 800 every day II the
Major of Police and the police Judge were
agreed to break up lotteryticlet sellers, as
they appear to be to break up the poor ne
gro boys game of "crap'
But 'crapn has no $4,000 agent to take
care oft in Congress; 1t has no 5000 per
year lawyer to look after its cases iu the
courts 1t hes no evening paper interested
in its protection to the extent of So, 900 per
year; no morning paper Mt larger rate; no
Sunday papers at 81 900 per year each, nor
any soldiers tribune at a greater rate than
any of them, all under agreement to keep
out matter unfavorable to its continuance.
Hence "crap'' has to go up alleys, to court
unfrequented streets, to hide in back rooms
and cellars while the Louisiana lottery
may hire quarters in the highest priced
street in the city and advertise its business
in the great moral, conservative news
papers of the day
The children of the public schools are
now being asked for voluntary subsa ip
tions" toward fund for the purchase of
American flags to be displayed every day
from the roof-tree of the scho )l-lloIse
Such voluntary contributions are ain Of
a piece with the political assessments OF
Departments in other days. They are
voluntary only in name The pri lie OF
every child leads him to beg the money
from the parent, and the parent yields his
nickel to save the child from modification.
There has been more than enough of 1t
lately in our Washington schools. 1T is to
be hoped that our superintendent, Mr..
Powell, will put stop to it.
The purchase of one flag for a
school-house of a size and quality worthy
of salute would cost $50, and would be
worn out, If displayed every day, in three oil
four months. Then would come another
collection from the school children. Aftel
two or three such collections the whole
business would be dropped from lack OF
voluntary contributions The best plar
is to drop IT now. The American flag ha,
display enough in Washington without any
reinforcement at the hands of little chill
dren. If there is a necessity for more 'iolt
flags let us have an appropriation
That Is not such bad idea of the Kansas
farmers to have copy of the Congressional
Record sent to every township in the Unitet
States, where 1t can be deposited for th,
use of the members OF the "Farmers' AL
lance" Fun is poked at the Record a
dull sepulchre of dreadful speeches, ant
yet its pages contain the thoughts ant
opinions of the representatives of the peo
pie of forty-two States. brilliant edito
Of the New York World, when it did no
have so large a circulation, but whei
1t had fer better editorials than at present
said: "The Record of Congress is store
house of information, compiled by tn
picked men of the brighte,t nation o
the world, and man cannot b
very well informed on the progres
of the age who fails to take It and read
as he does his daily newspaper" No ma
can read the Record without discovering
that there are two sides to every politica
and financial question. This fact alon
would make it q necessary publication t
the Farmers Alliance of Kansas, for o
most questions they seem to think tina
there can be but ons side. BY all mean
let Kansas have Records in every township
L | y I.,sI