St. Landry democrat., 1890-04-05
"NIorley'' and the Lottery.
OPELoUsAs, La, April I'd, 80.


EDITOR DEMOCRAT THOSE who an
tagonize the La, State Lottery Co., IN
its efforts to secure a renewal or lis
charter, have not a monopoly OF virtue
in this world know there Is current
belief that a man is foe to all that is
good when he has the nerve to assert
that the re- charteTiDg of this company
will prove benefit to the state OF
Louisiana. | am not an Office holder
nor politician, nor one OF the saints.
| am simply and only square man OF
business, who, by attending TO his own
affairs, and letting other peoples alone,
has made enough to pay his honest
debts, and to prove IL factor OF some
slight moment in upbuilding southW est
ern louisiana Aud | say frankly-and
have not a dollar Of lottery stock, nor
ever had-that ii the Louisiana State
Lottery Co. will give to the State OF
Louisiana annually sam OF money
sufficient to keep our insane from rot
ting in the parish iails, and to see that
our deaf, dnmb and blind are properly
cared for, and to double the public
school term in every parish III the State,
| for one will vote for 1t and work for Ii
at the polls. There is no sentiment
about me and men of my way of think
may mount the platform and holloa
anti Lottery" until the crack Of doom,
but this mounting does not run il gov
eminent. 1t takes cash and good
deal of it.
"Morley,' who WIote II camI!unica-
ton for The Acadia Sentinel two weeks
ago, and men Of his way Of thinking,
for whom | have the highest respect,
talk bribery when the lottery company
makes an offer to the State for the pro-
lection of it's levees. | am willing to
admit, for the sake OF argument, that
the object of the lottery company in
making that donation was TO place the
people of this State under obligations
to it, for one feel very much obliged
for the donation. 1t was large
amount of money properly and sensibly
bestowed for the purpose of accom-
plishing work that was sorely needed.
do not look a gift-horse in the mouth
even il it be branded L. S. L.
The readers Of the DEMOCRAT should
have their minds disabused of the idea
that all who favor the re-clartering of
the lottery company have been bribed
Some OF the best men in our State
men will invest in games of chance.
manship. they believe in utilizing this
propensity for the greatest good and
benefit to the people. The president of
the La. State Lottery Co. has stated
over his own signature that less than 8
per cent OF the gross receipts OF his
company are derived from Louisiana.
and that more than 20 per cent of the
receipts are spent in this State. 1t
would not be sound business, in my
judgment, to decline that which pro-
duces revenue seven times as great as
the money invested.
1t is not in the power of government
to wholly eradicate evil. 1t must regu-
late it for it cannot crush it. Gladstone,
Disracli, Bismarck, and even our own
George Washington and Thomas JEFF
ferson recognized the hard fact that
government cannot wholly eradicate
evil. The two American statesmen |
have just named were the fathers of
lotteries. / remember seeing q few
years ago, in a museum Of curiositjes in
one Of our largest cities, two lottery
tickets, one containing the autograph
of Thomas Jefferson, the father of the
Declaration of Independence, and the
other that of George Washington, who.
as history records it, was first in peace.
ISL III Wa; anu Ills III tHC HealtS OF
his cOuntrymen."
A large portion OF the population of
southwestern Louisiana is of French
extraction. 1t is we'll known to them.
and to all men who follow the course of
everyday affairs, that the French gov
eminent often establishes lottery to
make up a deficit between the receipts
and the expenditures Of the Republic,
Only year ago it was seriously pro-
posed, and carried out, [ believe, that q
lottery should be organized in the in
terest of the De Lesseps canal And
yet, in the face OF these facts, the French
people have prospered more in the mast
twenty years than any other nation in
Europe. They have paid off the i'm
mense Franco-Prussiau war indemnity.
and have as large wealth per capita az
any nation in the world.
There are many good meu in this sec
ton OF Louisiana whose sound business
heads remain on their shoulders in spite
of public clamor. These men are 60
ing to give the proposition of the lot
terry company fair, square, direct con-
sideration.. Ii they think it will benefit
the State, they are going to vote and
work to accept it; and embryo states
men, Matched in the last campaign, will
not be allowed TO influence their iude-
ment and action in the premises.
Yonrs truly,
BUSINESS.