The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-12
a. to silence the opposition of the
cautious and to attract the support of the

masterful a. to silence the opposition of thu
cautious and to attract the support of thu
! timid.
By the force and glitter of its money
power 1t has warped the Judgment and CON
science Of MANY good people. making them
such riches, even though they be obtained
without honor and in Dissertation of the
dignity of labor and long pedigree of toll
| 1t has captured three-fourths of the LOuisi-
ana press, either by control of the capital
| invested, or by purchase, or by proprietor
| ship.
In localities where it could not purchase
| the local press it has started hireiinG
press of its own. To emphasize this posi-
| ton we state the fact that the most blatant
| anti lottery papers of the state few years
| ago are TODAY violent partiEans OF the lot
| terry. Its iniquitous business is blazOned
embellishments of winnings all over the
country, and it has thus stimulated gam
bling thirst in tens of thousands of ignor-
| ant and credulous persons from whom 1t
| monthly receives its enormous lll-gotten
| gains.
While the United States postofice depart
ment is the principal instrument of its rob-
berry of the people outside of Louisiana, yet
the express companies also lend material
aid. Being itself excluded from the mails
as fraudulent lottery, it skulks under the
individual name of, its president and the
udlIlc Oh II uUL1Ou6l OtAuk CudItcL0u Nv Vic
national government. 1t is estimated that
one-third Of the whole local mail matter
that passes through the New Orleans post
Office is lottery mail, and that $1,000 per
diem in postal notes and money orders are
paid to its stalkinR-horse bank.
The temptation to hold onto this power
and to continue to amass this wealth has in
duced these lottery people to violate all their
promises and pledges made to the trainers
of the conAtitution and to the people of
Louisiana, reiterated again and again to its
political leaders, and in pursuance OF this
broken faith they have precipitated the
present conflict by agitating for a renewal
of the charter. This agitation has drawn
the attention of the good people Of this
state. hitherto sleeping, to the history and
acts of the Louisiana lottery and as re-
suit of that investigation bv the legislature
just adjourned, an attempt has been made
to submit constitutional amendment to
be voted on by the people in 1892, giving to
John A. Morris. member .of the original
gambling syndicate of 1866, one of the
original promoters of the Louisiana Lottery
company and now its lessee and largest
stakeholder, and his unnamed associates,
the exclusive privilege of drawing lotteries
in Louisiana for 25 years from January,
1884, in consideration of the payment to the
state of 81, 25O, 600 per annum.
The statement of the proposition demon
strates the enormity of the crime involved
in it. John A. Morris and his associates,
who neither toll nor spin. who take but pay
no honest wage, make no product, till no
fields SOW no crop, reap no harvest, who add
nothing to the sum of human wealth or hap
piness, are to be authorized by Il sovereign
state for paltry participation in the plum
der to convert her territory for generation
into a gambling snare for the unWary OF
this whole country, and fitch from them by
fraudulent lottery schemes untold millions.
There are no limitations on this proposed
grant. There are no penalties.for its abuse:
1t is placed beyond the regulating power of
the Legislature. All amendments tending to
prevent the drawing of fraudulent lottery
schemes were voted down.
This vast corrupt money power is to be
confronted; we know that we have battle
to fight, such as no people ever fought be-
fore. We shrink not from the contest: the
true sons of Louisiana have never fai leu her
in her hour of need. They are as ready now
as ever to spend their fortunes and, shed
the blood in defense of her honor. But
this fight is not only ours, but yours also.
Aside from the pollution of its presence. a
great part of the harm is done and to be
done by this robber of the people to our
sister states of the Union. II the faint of
the state organized crime could be confined
within the limits of the organizing state, the
evil might be small and the ground of COM
plant local, but we protest that it ia against
the fundamental principles of this Union
and violative of the sacred sisterhood of
the states that one of their number
should for a pittance of revenue allow a
piratical corporation to play upon the isno-
rance, the credulity and the cupidity of the
citizens of all the other states. and to sta
ton its minions broadcast through the land
to violate its laws. If any state is SO shame
less as to thus use it's at present untram-
meled power, it ought to be, and must be,
by the united power of the Amer
lean people. 10 that end We recommend
the immediate adoption of an amendment
to the federal constitution prohibiting any
state from chartering or licensing any lot
terry or gift enterprise, and abOlishfnR those
power to enforce the prohibition by appro-
pirate legislation.
proposition to amend the constitution
covering all this ground except in the aboli-
ton of existing lotteries is now before the
committee of the United States senate, hav-
New Hampshire. Such an amendment can
not, in the natural order of things, be put
in force for some time. Until that time
comes we ask the attention of congress for
some appropriate legislation under the ex-
listing state of the constitution aimed at
the heart of this devouring dragon.
The legislation specially recommended by
the president and postmaster general to ex-
clude lottery business and advertisements
from the mails and express companies is
aimed to the right direction, and we ask its
speedy adoption. With a national evil of
great magnitude to correct, with the clear
constitutional power to crush that evil eff
fectively, why should the congress and the
people hesitate to use influence with the ex-
listing congress to have the above sug-
gested legislation adopted speedily ?
We ask that all candidates of all parties
of the Legislatures of the various states be
required to pledge themselves to vote for
the amendment proposed by congress to the
constitution of the United States prohibit
ing and abolishing state lotteries. All this
we ask in the name of our common citizen
ship of this republic and in behalf of pub
lie honor. the public interest and the pub
lie and private welfare of the common
! wealth of states.
We further request the free press to give
this address the widest publicity.
| S;JAcoas OIL
CURES PERMANENTLY