Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-08-16
War ON 7aE LOTTERY.
Earnest Appeal by the Baton Rouge
Convention.
Louisiana's Struggle Again the Great
Gambling Corporation Aid of
the Nation Invoked.


Gambling Corporation Aid of
the Nation Invoked.
The Anti-Lottery League Convention has
adopted an address to the people Of the United
States, and memorial to the President an /
Congress. The address says:
! Your fellew-citizens ofthe State of louisiana.
opposed to lottery gambling and lottery char
tiers, assembled in convention at Baton Rouge.
make to You this appeal for aid in the strug-
gle they are engaged in with powerful gam.
bilng corporation, which sits here among US
| like giant octopus, and stretches its arms
TO the reinotest hamlet in the land. For your
! sympathy they ask not because that they
have, this we'll they know by the unanimous
voice OF the free press of the country, which,
untouched and untouchable by lottery influ-
4 ence, mas denounced, in no uncertain tones
the infamy we are combating
| nIsiURI
| We desire briefly to state to you the facts.
lnlo6Sthe carpet bag Legislature of Louisiana
At the instigation of syndicate of gamblers.
formed in New York in lS63, composed Of John
A, Morris, Ben C, Wood {. H. Murray and
others, chartered the Louisiana Lottery Com
pany with capital Of 81, 100000, giving it a
monopoly Of drawing lotteries in the state for
70 years. This grant was obtained by bribery
| and corrupt means. At that time the public
regarded 1t with horror, and the men connected
with 1t were pursued with public and private
condemnation and disgrace For 10 years il
maintained itself against constant legislative
assault by similar corrupt means.
| In 1879 the legislature repealed this charter
result accomplished by majority of only
| two votes in the senate. This repeal was prac-
neally nullifed by an injunction issued by
Edward G. Billings, United States district
Judge fer Louisiana, who held in the very teeth
10 haPIu s.f ftn Ga. - Al
United States rendered in the similar case of
Boyd VS.. Alabama, that an immoral bargain
such as this character, was sacred contract
protected by the constitution Of the United
States and binding upon the police power of
sovereign state.
The same legislature thatrepealed thischa
ter called constitutional convention. This
convention was attacked by the lottery people
with money, with Judge Billings decision,
with promises to give up its monopoly, 10 re.
tire from politics, and 10 allow provision to
J be inserted in the constitution prohibiting all
lotteries after January |, 1895 and they were
given new lease of life.
ITS GROWTH SINCE 1879.
Mark the result They have practically en-
| joyed their renowned monopoly by prevent
ing every legislature elected since 1880 from
granting additional charters. The market
value of their stock has risen from S35 per
share in lS79to 81 cooper share in 1890 so that
now it is more than double that of the whole
banking capital of the state. They have built
up the original capital which was never sub
scribed and have accumulated m enormous
surplus of unknown amount, while declaring
dividends of 80 10 100 per cent per annuHf and
that too out of only one half Of the net earn
ings as the other half belongs TO the lessees,
Howard and Morris. Definite information rs
to their list of stockholders, officers. profits and
business affairs cannot be obtained. as they are
kept studiously concealed from the public
The scheme Of their drawings has Increased
from monthly capital prize Of S3000e to a
month capital prize Of 100000 and semi-an.
nual prize Of 100000. The aggregate of the
schemes ofthe monthly and semi.annual draw
ings is the fabulous sum of 1913, 100000 per an
mum, and the aggregate oftheir daily drawings
Is over So, 100000 more. They receive annually
amillion and a-quarter from the written poll
cleS sold on the numbers of the daily drawing
part from the sale of the regular. printed
tickets. They receive annually about So. 000,-
600 from theirmonthly and semi-annual draw
ings.
CHANCES OF THE PLAYERS.
| The schemes of the last drawings are so ar
ranged that they can sell rs per cent. of their
tickets pay 10 per cent for selling them, lose
all the prizes provided for in the schemes, pay
100000 for expenses and still make s.. 0O0,-
900 per annum. We make no idle assertion
]
Even from lottery standpoint this company
offers to distribute less than SO per cent in
prizes. No authorized lottery on earth outside
Of Mexico, is allowed to distribute less than 70
per cent. The chance 10 win a prize of any
sort in one Of these drawings is about in 80
whereas, il it were an honest lottery il would
be at least to 10. These were the reason which
induced two Postmasters. General Ofthe United
States TO exclude il from the mails as fraud
ulent lottery. What is known as the daily
+ drawing takes place every day except Sun
day-3l3 per annum. The scheme is based on
the tenary combination of the natural number
from 1 to 7S and on some days from to rs,
| giving in one case 7s076 and in the other g..
525 different combinations Of three numbers
1 each.
/ The prizes paid are outof all honest proper
ton to the cost of tickets or the chances of win
ming. For instance, for a dollar ticket the chance
of winning prize of So cents is one in three;
winning prize of Sl.7J one in 10. and of win
ming prize of 1925 is one in ,237. In add.
ton TO those printed tickets written policies or
| bets on the numbers Of the daily drawings are
taken at the fancy Of the better, with percent.
age Of from % to Al per cent. in favor Of the
lottery.