Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-07-30
THE LOTTERY EVIL
A Message From the President
ON the Subject.
HE URGES SEVERE LEGISLATION,
Congress Asked to Close the Mails
Against the Companies.

1hs Robbery of the Poor Portrayed by
ths Chief NIagIatrat~--Ihs COrruptlRR
Gouen of LottsTy Agents Felt ~ the
NAtIOaaI CAPiESl-Ths PostnAstsr-8Sns
sFal's Letter Accompanies the Message,
WASHINGTON, July 3O.-Ths President
has sent the following message to
Congress;
''The recent attempt to secure q
charter from the State of North Dakota
for q lottery company-the pending
effort to obtain from the State of
Louisiana q renewal of the charter of
the LouisiApA State Lottery. and the
establishment of one of more lottery
companies at Mexican towns RsaF OUT
border, have served the good purpose
of calling attention to an evil of vast
proportions.
re the baneful effects of these lot
tefESs were SQntinsd 80 the States that
give the companies corpoTats powers
and license to conduct the business,
the citizsns Of ether States being pow
erless to apply legsI remedies, might
clear themselves of responsibility by
the use of such moral agencies as were
within their reach. But the case is not
debauchsd and dsfrauded. The vast
sums of money offered TO the States for
charters are drawn from the people of
she United States and the general Coy
eminent through lite mail system is
made the effective and profitable me-
dunn of intercourse between the lot
terry company aud its victims, The
use of the mails lie quite as essential
to the companies as the State license.
II would be practically impossible for
these companies to exist If the public
male were once effectively closed
against their advertisements sna re-
mittances. The use of the mails by
these companies il q prostitution of an
agency only intended to serve the pur-
poses Of . legitimate trade and 4 decent
social intercourse.
''IS IL not necessary, l am sure for
me to attempt to portray the robbery
of the poor, and the widespread cor
EuptiGR af public and private morals,
these lottery schemes,
1.-The National capital has become a
sub headquarters of the Louisiana Lot
terry Co., and its numerous agents and
attorneys are conducting here bust
ness, probably . larger use of the mails
than that of any legitimate business
enterprise in the District of Columbia.
There seenS to be good reason to be-
IisVs that the corruptipg touch of
in the postal service and by some of
the police officers OF the District of
Columbia.
"Severe and effective legislation
should be promptly enacted to enable
the postofice department to purge the
mails of all letters, newspapers and
circulars relating to this business.
the letter oft he Postm aster Gen
eral which ] transmit herewith points
out the inadequacy of the existing
statutes, and suggests legislation that
would be effectual.
1T may also be necessary to so regu-
late the carrying of letters by the ex-
press companies as to prevent the use
of those agents to maintain communi-
cation between the lottery companies
Pnd their agents or customers in other
States.
at does not seem possible that there
can be any division of sentiment as to
the propriety of closing the mails
against these companies, and l there
forO venture to express the hope that
such proper powers as are necessary to
that end will be at once given to the
Postoffics Department.
'ISlgnedi BENJAMIN HARRIsoN
EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 80, 1907
Accompanying the message are two
documents; one q letter of the Post
master-Gensral, directing the Presi-
dents attention to the subject; the
other q compilation of the laws re-
lating to lotteries, heretofore enacted,
together with the decisions of courts
defining those laws. In his letter to
the President, the Postmaster-General
says 6that the urgent necessity of the
case impels him to anticipate his an
nuAl report by this special communica-
tion in regard to the use of the mails
and by the Louisiana Lottery Co.