Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-23
IAN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES"

OAAAE0 SAAA6os
The fall measure of infamy and cheat
of the Louisiana lottery, which is making
just now such desperate effort to retain
life, is not known to those outside of the
State of Louisiana, as a rule. Monthly
drawings are by the great mass of the peo
pie the only ones affecting them.
The address to the people of the United
States by the recent anti-lottery Conven
tion sets forth facts that reveal in full the
demoralizing influences of the great gam.
ing institution. These are mainly local
and will not, therefore, be checked at all
by the law excluding the lottery adyer-
tisements from the mails.
The history and details of the monster
corruptionist are of interest. The lottery
company was originally chartered in 1868,
with capital of Sl,OOO,O0O and a lease Of
life for twenty-five years. For ten years
thereafter it was in such odium that il
was compelled to expend vast sums an
nually to defend itself from legislative as
saults. In 1879 the anti-lottery agitators
prevailed upon the Legislature to repeal
the charter, but the United States District
Court, in defiance of the ruling of the
United States Supreme Court in similar
case, held that the contract of 1868 was in
Violable, Notwithstanding it was contrary
to good morals.
In the same year Constitutional Con-
vention was called, and before it the lot
terry company agreed, if it was given leave
to live, to make no further effort for ex-
tension of its charter after January /, 1895.
Accordingly, provision was inserted in
the Constitution affirming the original
charter, and specifying that no lotteries
should be chartered after January l, 1895.
AT the same time the monopoly given the
Louisiana Company was struck down, and
the door opened for any and all lottery
gambling.
But the power of the lottery became so
great that it felt strong enough to ignore
its agreement, and consequently went into
the Legislature of 1890 with new propo-
sition, under which the question Of grant
ing the Legislature power to recbarter the
company is to be voted upon in the form
of q constitutional amendment in 1892
Originally the capital prize for monthly
drawings was $4,000, but this has been
increased to 100000, and semi-annual
capital prize added of 100000 The ag-
gregate of the schemes is S2S,00O,0O0 a
year. But 81, 100000 more is scheduled
in daily drawings, of which the people out
side of the State of Louisiana have little
knowledge.
The immense swindle is exposed by the
bare fact that the company admitted in
the recent legislative inquiry that it can
sell seventy-6ve per cent. of its tickets,
allow ten per cent. to agents, lose all the
prizes and 100000 for expenses, and
still make profit of So, 100000 year. In
all other lotteries, except those of Mexico,
the law requires the gamblers to distribute
not less than seventy per cent, but the
Louisiana concern distributes only fifty
three, so that the chances, if all the
tickets are actually put out, are one in
thirty, while in the seventy per cent. lot
terles they are one in ten. But not all the
tickets are put out. Very few persons can
obtain a whole ticket. They are divided
into twentieths, and fully one-third of
these are retained on each number by the
company, so that when capital prize of
100000 is drawn, fully one-third of it, or
$4,000, is drawn by the company, very
often one-half of it, sometimes two-thirds,
sometimes the whole prize, and this draw
back runs through the whole scheme.
But the daily drawings work the greater
mischief to the people of Louisiana.
These schemes are based on the combina-
ton of natural numbers from to rs, and
sometimes l to rs, so that combinations in
one case are given of 7s.076, and in
the other of $685., of three numbers
each. The prizes paid are out of all
honest proportion to the chances of
winning. Thus, for 81 ticket the chance
Of winning IS cents is in 3; of 75
cents, in 10; of S4 25, in 1927, and so
on. But the daily lottery has attachments
that are ruinous to the people, especially
to the poor, concerning which the address
by the Anti-Lottery Convention says:
In addition to these printed tickets, written
policies or bets on the number of the daily
drawings are sent out at the fancy OF the bett0r,
with percentage of % to 81 per cent in favor
Of the lottery. There are more than 100 policy
shops IN the city of New Orleans where such
tickets are written. They are placed as points
where they waylay the wage-earner ia his pro-