St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1890-12-20
THE BATTLE OPENS.
New Delta Dec. 18th.

Yesterday the lottery opened its
first parallel in its assault upon the
autonomy and reputation of Louisiana
by filing . suit against the secretary oi
state praying that an order of man
damus beEissued directing him to pro-
mulgate officially House, bin No. ZIG,
known as The lottery bib. And it is
appropriate that this second step in
the scheme toreduce Louisiana to the
thraH of a gambler should be made
where the first one was taken-in the
city of Baton Rouge. The secretary
of state, knowing that the bill did not
constitutionally pass the Legislature,
refuses, as it is his plain duty to refuse,
to promulgate the bill as passed or to
advertise it for vote. Thus blocked
in their scheme the. gamblers are
forced either to 60 into court and try
to compel that officer to 50 promulgate
and advertise, or else to, give up the
fight and admit themselves yanquished
upon the threshold of their undertak-
ing. They have chosen the last al
tentative.
This action on the part of John A..
Morris (for he brings the suit in his
own name) is useful for two purposes
First, it is notice to the world that the
combination of gamblers has not given
up its fight, that it still entertains the
hope Tin event of a favorable decision
from the dourts) OF being able, by
means of its hireling tools and the use
of its il-gotten wealths to fasten itself
afresh upon the State Of Louisiana and
suck its life -blooa for twenty-five years
more: 1t means that this fostering
ulcer upon the beAN polite hopes to
continue eating into the reputation,
the prosperity and the liberty of
Louisiana. 1t is a. warning to the
honest people of the State that the
battle is not yet fully won that they
cannot rest supinely upon the laurels
already earned that there are yet
blows to be struck aEi battles to be
fought for the honor of their State,
for the prosperity Of themselves and
for the freedom of their children.
This suit is a bugle call to arouse to
action every true son of the State, it is
the tocsin of alarm 10 wake into ac-
tivity every anti-lottety organization
from the hills on theArkansas line to
the sea marshes on I'll gull, and when
the attorneys of JohnsA Morris filed
this petition in the oaace Of the clerk
of the court then u the guage Of
battle thrown down "a war to the
death declared between honesty and
chicanery, between liberty and bond
age, between virtue md vice. Sons of
Louisiana range yonfselres for the
fray either under TIN fair banner of.
your beloved Stase, ander the green
cloth OF Monte Carlp Z
1t is also notice the rest of the.
Union that this haI lft, OF Arrogant
proI.pse to defy the publieS
sentiment of the entire country and to
attempt to continue the nefarious
business, which they themselves declare
drains the country annually OF mil
lions for which no adequate return is
rendered. It is the most powerful
petition that has yet gone forth to
Congress to Immediately pass bill
proposing to the States the anti-lottery
amendment to the constitution Of the
United States. s..
This suit is further useful for the
purpose of decidinssWhesher this gang
of gamblers can dominate the judicial
as they did the legislative department
of the State government. It is the
touchstone by which will be decided
the true worth of our courts. It is
the calcium light insthe glare of which
can be discerned whether the judicial
ermine be still pure and undefled. It
is the crucible in which will. be tried,
as by fire, the purity of the most sacred
of our institutions. The eyes, not on
ly of Louisiana but OF the Union, are
upon our courts. God grant that they
may stand the scrutiny with lasting
honor to themselves and credit to the
State OF whose liberties they are the
custodians.