The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1890-09-20
The Lottery and the schools.
What shall the people say to

What shall the people say to the
proposition of the lottery company
to run the public schools with
part Of the money derived from the
sale Of the lottery franchise to this
gamblers ring? To answer intelli-
gently we must know the facts.
Let US first consider it from the
business" standpoint, from which
the Lottery advocates are so fond of
viewing it. The amount offered by
the lottery company for schools is
100000 per year. There are,
according to the report Of the super.
intendent of public education for
1889, 1852 children enrolled in
the State. This would give TO each
chip the munificent sum OF 50 26 a
year, with which TO pay for its
education, For school session Of
| ten months this would be % cents
and six mills month, or, as the
school days in month are twenty.
eight, 1t aOo,sJd amount to The enormous
sum of eight tenths Of a cent a day.
A grand and glorious and noble
| offer! An offer to make the people
| rush frantically forward to accept
it. An offer to justify the formation
| of progressive Leapuetn through.
out the state to work for its accep
tance. Why, if the gentlemen who
are engaged il getting up and at
tending the Progressive League"
meetings will put in the time they
expeDd in going to, assisting at and
returning from these meetings in
saving wood at current prices for
such labor Tor some other work
more honorable than trying to sell
their State to keno game), they
would earn more money for the
schools than the lottery proposes to
give. But, to return to our subject
The generous. benevolent, phil9h
thropic Louisiana State Lottery
Company. whose animal income ID
thtgtg aeaJlioa dollars. offers, from The
generous promptiugs of its bepeyol
eRt heart, to each school child 10
Louisiana eight teatlss Of a cert day;
nine cants aud two mills less than
would pay its car fare.
Let as see what this proposition
would do for these children's fathers,
The average family has three chill
| dren at eighttenths of cent a day
will make two cents and four mills
The father could give his children
this if he would omit one glass of
beer every other day or if he would
walk TO and from his work once in
every week instead of riding in the
car. And to save this enormous
sacrifice the Progressive League
has thrown itself into the breach
| Noble EFFORT Grand and glorious
movement. It the Progressive
League" would give the price of the
beer guzzled at its meetings, under
the euphelnism of Refreshments" il
would go far toward making up this
munifcent amount.
| What does it amount to in a year
to the father of three children? Al
| SO 26 a piece the amount for the
three would be Sc 78. Fathers, are
You willing, for the pitiful amount
of Sc Is year, to teach three oi
Gods creatures, your own flesh anc
blood, committed to your care, anc
for whose moral training you are 81
responsible as you are for theil
mental and physical, that gambling
is q fit subject to receive the protec
ton Of the law, that it is honorable
and upright, that it is the equal o
honest, manly labor2
To save this pitiful sum are yo'
willing to educate your children
with money won from negro wash
women and filched from the marke
basket and store tills Of the country
Louisianians, what is your ant
wer2-Delta.
-zs-s Ep-------------