The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-24
LEAVE Ii To THE PEOPLE

The constitution of this State prohibits all
lotteries after the last day in December, 1894.
The Lottery Company, desiring to prolong
their charter, offer to pay the State a million
dollars ii Year for the period of twenty five
years for such extended franchise They are
now paying under their contract with the
State fifty thousand dollars per annum. This
contract is recognized aud ratified in article
l67 of the constitution, which likewise fixes
the termination of the contract by prohibit
iug all lotteries.
This prohibition can be removed only by an
amendment to the constitution which requires
proposition by the General Assembly aud con
tirmaiion by the people at the next general
election, which will he held in April, 1899. 1t
is probable that Il bill involving such amend
ment will he submitted at the coming sessi"n
of the legislature, This will, no doubt, give
rise la much discussion covering the whole
range oi matters connected with lotteries,
their tendencies and effects, their public opn-
ion at home AM! abroad, and their social, po-
litical and ec0Gon ic bearings in their widest
scope
Yet, arp,ehenh hal the oulg question with
each senat and representative will be wheih-
er il is his dnly to leave the whole matter to
the people 10 decide hy their votes for or
against the amendment, or to refuse to give
them that privilege Here is an offer of mil
lion of dollars year tn the State, for schools.
lovcts AID charities, or for whatever else a
government may require; shall he give the
people chance to say whether they will ac-
cept it reject it, or shall he take all the -as-
possibility to himself and tell Ills constituents
that theS shai, h"I nave d cna1ce To oeciae
the question: i"r themselves ne may nave
net'eT !'oituni',es I1t ac4"iiihs lniorha-
their agent, but he need not assume to know
what they want better than they do them
selves, in matter of such enormous impor-
tance. He may have settled opinions on
matters feia, my to l'uoi.c lnotas' ouo ne heea
NOT "e' on 'he PRESUMPTION tnat Tue people
are any srsS ilorai tian a ninsei. preposl !,
,loh Is "hets" 70 tahe o4 On t iatge part oi .ns
io'ii "a taA's NV tno 'aA teis nav :. .
eha.ee ~ say mue'hei lhey WIN aeoepI ~
vi nos an t eno. .i "n"o r;s W.; SCI t,.
sooa sc""ols iot ."iee 'hu m ahnu.sl pu1iou 'at a
the1 "ie ~" 1p 'no aoo',
pooi na, Il ~ Soy S,,I a'E
III ia''i VI a1eep.lnS 'no 1noi ' VI noG onha, !.
.ne p1I1 thn;n ha;u LII ,,n;,to;na5 fan snhs;s
upon theii oelns "o'' t tii"ili'"inou ioi su'ais
tebce anu pio,ec.ioi' hase d Snance ce 10 a,,
eept s'I 'eiase '"o "i thleG nunuieu ,
de',ifs year us he!p 10 heep up sh1so nul-
"aiks asi.is' ny lneliess noous "a the hiss
issipp' - nishiheonS 'nes 10 psuo tna' VII
relieve ,ne unio' '"h".e anu yum" W oui ost'
cro"aea ihsli.u'iohs vi ch".iIJ viii, the iess
is,aaufe aahy 10 tue people tne enahce 10 s;ay
WI lne5 l,''1 .,'he I, ,,ie u u.
lh's 1het ~ one 'n@S Mou" nase
i'I "se n'I;, apon fhoso who roIna ,ls
ana ef'ull-cahn"s ,-, tnose "ho ~ saiug ae ane
states soiveney anu 'hlegIisy' nav1 M:, ehaiee
to accept - IL aney 50 aesife WIZ tne geaa,
ef"' ass9nnly assune tne . assn9sy n anu .1
fspoi'siol''.y 70 rgjeos tnis ~, "noa a nn VI WIZ
'sF eaae tne ueSsiun -, t ~ tns fp IN ,,o,,s
II hieln5, moto W St;t,t;n. io
ing a,' ali'eii1snI .t ~ ano .tnr tha ,'.a
wo"'n eA.ehu the 'I1 st;i ha ~ nhar,1 - ~
pose" 'eIii's, ne Mu",u M s.i' Va uo o,,Ia AZ W W
nnp"se II nstore '9 p1ope sn. an ]