St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-10-25
LOTTERIES IN THE UNITED
Stairs.

- 49, s<S0Sy - OOS OvO
proper and satisfActoey way a rais
ing State revenues, particularly To-
schools, internal improveaoate
pablic institutloas asd chAsitieo?
The question = not . new one
Il he's been fFsqusatly brought %
and has bssa thoroughly discussed
from every point ol view, political
economical and financial. We foe'
tunately have tie opinions on TIL
subject Of I'll our leading statesmss
and political scoaomists, and VI
have The experience q TIE several
States to guide ~. OF late, tn
question q morality has also bses
injected into TIE discussioa; but
here, also, . study a The lottery
history Of the United States VII
show % where and how this lottery
morality srose, and Just how much
consideration It deserves.
The lottery, - . means Of pro
viding revenues for the State, hal
been closely associated with Amer.
lean history from the earliest day.
A lottery established the llrst En-
glish colony In American. One Of
the first acts OF the young republic
Was to organise the United States
lottery, to provide funds ito carry
ON this most just and necessary
war;" - Coogress styled It, ''il
defence Of the lives. property and
liberties II tie Amesican people -
and the federal capital W. laid OF
and the funds Soe Tie public build
ings secured BY means q . lottery.
Thus associated With The early
history Of the country, lottesie1
were, Tor more than Gixty yeass,
generally used - . MEANS Of faisins
any extra revenues heeded by Tie
government, and wore regarded BY
1.-THE fathers q Tie republic'' and
By Ill TIE leadiaG statesaan during
the afst sixty years u OUT history
- proper and honorable source
Of revenue. No one could then ne
the slightest danger In them, and
the first five presidents q THE coun-
try. Washingtou, Adams. jenerson.
Madison and Mohr0e, were pro lot.
terry men Of the most pronounced
type. Washington and Jefferson
actually ran lotteries Of their own,
while Monroe, - governor
Of Virginia, approved aud signed
no lees than sixty-two lottery char
tery. This mode Of raising revenues
Was = special feature Of Monfoe's
two terms - governor, and thanks
to it, Virginia never advanced and
progressed more rapidly than under
bis lottery policy.
During I'll this lottery period. this
prospered beyond III others
n the world. Nor do the many
otteries then chartered seem to
have corrupted politics In the slight
est degree or demorali5ed or linz
poverished the people.
We are fortunately able, In thu
many gubernatorial messages oa|
:his subject, IN TIE writings q JET
|ersou, Madison and Others, to|
ret the FUN views Of these statesnsa
md political economists On the|
ottery question, viewed from pol
itical, economical and moral
vtandpoints. The "fathers Of the
and the statesmen of the
irst sixty years Of our history
,ould see no harm OF danger In lot.
cries - means of public revenues /; |
hey thought them much better than
Ugh taxation. the reckless issuance
4 bonds and the piling up Of heavy |
public debts.
On this point Of TAXATION they !
nd very decided and emphatic
'iews. They never forgot that the
american revolution was . rising |
gainst unjust and oppressive taxa
Ion exercised through the stamp
luty; and they took The positioa
nd ever maintained L that The GOV.
rnment should be - light and The
axes - low - possible, levied o.
' when absolutely neccessary Tor
be public needs.
The results Of this doctrine =
,ell shown In the financial condition
{ the United States and the several
'tates 1t that time. When Je6eF.
ON went out Of olIlce the country
wed les than half - mach - the
ity Of New York owes TO-DAY: and
. late - 1925 the debt OF the eiGh.
ZEN States amounted to only Il, 100.
than Louisiana's present
,debtedness. Il was the came with
lxatiou. and Louisiana win, for
800. pay mote In the way Of taxes
State. district, parish, municipal.
wees, license. poll, school and road
lxes-than III the thirteen States
hid for al purposes In 1870.
In the coalition q affairs thea
listing lotteries presented the0-
lives q solution oe IN tAeoe dit.
culties. They allowed the mosey
eeded Tor pahlic parposes 10 bel
,ieed without bonds q excessive
NATION; and narrower. - Thomas
slIersoa pointed out N biz pam-
let. s'ThoaGhis u Lotteries"
~ offered It osce the cheapest,
nplest and INST satisfact0ev
ode u raising extraordinary nv. :
,ues. That the money they Oh.
ined by them va . tax, he admits.
Il . voluntary tax. Surely M
" was compelled to contribute to I,
Who did want to do %, and Il was
~ ~,~.s>rn~.0 th~t M ma Wspnan6 .