Wichita eagle., 1890-03-08
THE SCHEME LAID BARE.
Attorney-Ganeral Goodwin Gives Light to
the Lottery Doodle.

BISMARCK. y. D., March I'm the legis-
lature yesterday Representative Stevens
sent to the clerks desk and had read a
private letter of Attorney General Good
win which has created a profound sensa-
ton in all quarters. The attorney general
is not Oh good terms with the legislature,
having been mathematical by the senate
for giving more advice than they asked
Tor on the lottery question, and IN response
TO the next request for legal information
having confined himself so closely to the
text as TO give no information such as de-
sired. Besides this he Is the known op-
ponent of the whole lottery scheme,
The letter read was written February 2,
1890, to c. f.. Johnson, of Lisbon, news
paper publisher, and says:
Now | will give Won the outline of one
of the most damnable and infamous
schemes that ever disgraced any legisa-
ture. The scheme IN brief is TO legaliZe
The transfer and reincOrpOration in North
Dakota of the Louisiana State lottery. 1t
is a slick bill, carefully ana shrewdly
drawn. and upon its face looks like God
send to the state IL proposes TO be run IN
the interest of the state, paying into the
state treasury from S75,0O0 to Sl50,000 a
year, in time furnishing revenue enough
To run the state government and buy ali
the sect wheat and supplies for the state
besides | will enclose you copy of the
bill and you can then see the
scheme. ] understand all the
Ransom county members are favoring
It at present; but Stevens is holding OF
for more money: he is blutting for cool
$4,000: dome think he can command that
amount unless 1t gets pretty close, ana
then the last man can command most any
-. a md k,A
Doodle is here They guarantee the stock
80 pay 100 cents on the dollar every SIX
months, and senator's who have influence
have been promised $4,000 IN stock. They
think they have nearly votes enough, but
want to be sure of two-thirds, as they eX-
pect, of course, TO have 10 pass it over the
governors veto. They are paying from
E200 to $500 cash down and agree TO double
when the oill becomes law.
ut is said by those on the inside that
this monStrous swindle antedates the state
convention at Fargo; that Senator Spen-
cer. Alexander Mckenzie, Judge LamOur,
Walsh, HagQart and a few more of the
leaders of ''the old gang" had this all
planned and that Harrison Allen pledged
to help carry it out. Their defeat there
Rcotches the snake, and now this Is the
last desperate attempt to control the poll
tics Of this new state. OF course, If sue
cessful, the Louisiana lottery would own
the state and control ana dictate its pollt-
ical future The men who are back of it
propose TO rule or ruin the Republican
party. They are using this as club over
the members opposed to them and threaten
TO allow no legislation to 90 through until
the bill passes. Tue financial condition of
the state is the great inducemenJ to foster
the disreputable scheme. Many of the
farmer members, while they admit
that it is of questionable NOR
a!ity yet think the state would
be justified in adopting this means
TO make the whole people happy and
wealthy; with few exceptions, they have
the press securely muzzled. 50 that no adj
Verse criticism viii get into the public
newspapers until It Is too late. George
Winship has been approached with all sorts
of seductive Inducements, but without
Rvail. They proposed TO give $4,000 OF
stock and make his paper furnish him all
the lottery printing and some OF the prom
ineut citizens Of Grand Forks are here
kicking Ninship because he is standing in
The way of that city receiving the local
Office of the beneticent institution. Some
OF the leading senators of the state are IN
the scheme. In fact. II Is hard at this
writing TO tell where its ramiticationS end.
The very boldness of the scheme gives it
temporary strength.
A careful canvass is being made
Of the senate and house TO secure
enough pledged men who can
neither be bought, bu.llozed, fiattered
nor cajoleG into voting to pass
Ii over the governors vote and then wait
and let the hackers of the rotten scheme
introduce ii and put themselves on record,
and then food the state with protests. let
ters and kilograms 10 arouse the sleeping
lion of public sentiment and bury the rech-
less movers of this damnable and infamous
outrage so deep that they can never raise
their heads in the politics Of the state. We
,o not want TO make any move now. for
fear they will weaken before they are put
on record by introducing the bill and then
claim they never intended TO try and pass
il at all You can talk with Rush and
Van about this but don't make 1t public
until i send you word.
GEORGE T. GOODWIN"