The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-08
THE LOTTERY BILL.
It Goes Back to the General
Assembly.
Governor Nichols Refuses to Sign It and
Gives His Reasons Plainly.
He DelOulCeS II as a Dark Shadow and a
Disgrace on the Honor Of
Louisiana.
Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL

BATON ROUGE, July 7.-Governor Mich
OILS this afternoon returned to the House,
without his approval, the now famous Lot
terry Bill. In his veto message, which is of
great length be refers to his message at the
opening of the session anticipating the leg
islatiOn aud urging its instant rejection, for
various reasons then set FORTH In the
present message he says his views hereto
fore expressed not only remain unchanged,
but his convictions have been deepened and
strengthened by the persistent efforts which
have been made to present Louisiana as
pauper, unable by and through her own
legitimate resources to sustain and carry
out the duties of her Statehood. Such repre-
sentations are utterly without foundation.
The State and different parishes of this State
were never since the late war in better
condition than they are to-day. Moving
forward to an era of assured prosperity
suddenly the dark shadow of deep dis
grace is thrown across their path, and the
honor of Louisiana, maintained in the past
on the field and in council by patriotism
aud valor and the sacrifices of her sons,
living ana dead, is to be tarnshed forever,
nci pOolllOu iltl SlosCl " VIC
tested, not by what she has been, but in
dust, as the degenerate partner in gam
bling corporation. designed, organized and
TO be carried out, not for her good OF her
advancement, but as have before said Tor
the personal and selfish interests of
handful of men, many of them
connected with the darkest days OF
the reconstruction period. l repeat,
it is for them and to them
we are selling out our birthright
for mess of pottage. Who are the six un-
named men who are to join with Il seventh.
and q known one, to constitute the new
lottery company? How comes it we are
not informed as to their identity and en-
abled to know their aDtecedents and fix
their records? There is a world of mean
ing in that silence. In the most trifling af-
fairs of life men seek to know with whom
they deal. How comes it that in matter
of this Importance the General Assembly
has been willing up to now to close its eyes
aud move blindly in the dark? | say to
this General Assembly in all earDestness
that, should this measure be passed, we
will enter upon period OF strife
such as never has been seen
before in Louisiana, and, should this
contemplated corporation ever be formed.
upon an area of corruption and degrada-
tiOn besides which the era Of reconstruc-
tion will appear as one of honor and happi-
ness. And let me say to you that should
this measure be adopted and carried out, in
my opinion no good VIII ever come of the
money which we will receive as the price
of our honor and our liberty. EXtraYa-
gance. prUfligacy and corruption will assur-
edly follow its receipt as night follows day.
l believe at the end of twenty-five years
we will not only find constitutional bonds
outstanding to the utmost limit of the
funding law, but l believe there will
be ip addition an immense interest-b bearing
debt, which by that time will have been ac-
knoWledged and provided for as to the i'll
terest but not as to the capital; and that
in those twenty-five years a vast amount of
interest will have been paid out un-
necessarily, improperly and Illegally.
In whose hands those interest bear
ing bonds will be found time will
develop. at the end of twenty-five
years there will be the same claim Of pow
erty of Louisiana and the same claim on its
behalf for continued existence of the lot
terry. Governor Nichols concluded with a
most urgent protest against this assumed
condition of poverty of the State, aud says
the measure will continue to meet his most
determined opposition.
The bill was made the special order for
tomorrow afternoon.