Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-08-09
A CALL FOR HELP.
THE ANTI-LOTIERY LEAGUE OF LOUISIANA
ISSUES
An Address 70 the Voters Of America-lhe Lottery
Power Arraigned In BlStering Terms.
History Of the kOnOpOly-lts
Mighty Influence.

MI5u'y iHHN0-NV'
BATON RoUGE, La, August s.-At a
late hour last night the anti-lOttery
league convention formulated an ad
dress to the people of the United States
earnestly requesting that all candidates
OF all parties of the legislatures OF the va
riouS States be required to pledge
themselves TO vote for the amendment
proposed by Congress to the Consttu
tion of the United States prohibiting
and abolishing state lotteries. The ad-
dress is as follows:
An address to The People Of the United
StdtcS:
Your fellow citizens OF the State Of
Louisiana, opposed to lottery gambling
and lottery charters, assembled in con-
vention at Baton Rouge, this 9TH day of
August, 1890, make to you this appeal
for struggle they are engaged in with
a powerful gambling corporation, which
sits here among us, like a giant octupus,
and stretches its arms To the remotest
hamlet in this land.
For your sympathy they ask not, be-
cause they have this well they know by
the unanimous voice of the free press
of this country, which, untouched and
untouchable by lottery influence, has de-
nounced in no uncertain tones the in
fanny we are combating.
We desire briefly to state to you'the
facts. In 1865 the Carpet Bag LegiSla-
ture Of Louisiana, at the instigation of
syndicate of gamblers formed in New
| York i'm 1868, composed Of John A.
Morris, Ben c. Wood, c. ii. Murray and
others, chartered the Louisiana Lottery
Company, with a capital of $1,000, 900,
giving IL monopoly Of drawing lotter-
les in the State for twenty-five years.
This grant was obtained by bribery and
corrupt means. At that time the public
regarded it with horror, and the men
connected with public and private con-
demnation and disgrace. For ten years
| it maintained itself against constant
legislative assault by similar corrupt
means.
In 1879 the Legislature repealed this
charter, a result accomplished by ma
lority Of only two votes in the Senate.
This repeal was practically nulliiied by
an Injunction issued by Edward c. Bill
lingS, L. :. District Judge for Louisiana.
who held. in the very teeth Of the deciS-
ion Of the Supreme Court of the United
States, rendered in the similar case Of
Boyd VS.. Alabama, that an immoral bar
gain. such as this charter, was sacred
contract. protected by the constitution Of
the United States, and binding upon the
police power of sovereign State. The
same Legislature that repealed this char
ter called q Constitutional Convention.
This convention was attacked by the lot
terry people with money, with Judge Bill
lngs' decision, with promises to give up
its monopoly, to retire from politics, and
to allow a provision to be inserted in the
constitution prohibiting all lotteries
after January /, 1898.
NEW LEASE OF LIFE AND POWER.
Several distinguished attorneys OF
the Lottery Company were elected to
to this body. The whole convention
was surrounded with a strong lobby OF
purchased rcSpectability, Under these
combined influences provision was in
serted in the projected Constitution re-
instating the repealed charter without
-. ...o~O-olr foa,~-o. ..~-'-.itf t's- 80
Legislature to charter other lotteries,
and providing that after January /,
1895. all lotteries should be prohibited.
This provision was intended and re-
garded as a compromise, and rather
than defeat the whole Constitution in
which it was imbeded the people adopt
ed it with the belief that in a few years
the evil would die beyond any prospect
OF resurrection, and such was the
pledge Of the Lottery Company. Mark
the result. With this new lease Of life
came new lease Of power and pros
peritv incredible. They have practical
llv insured their renOunced monopoly by
preventing every Legislature elected
since 1850 from granting additional
charters. This has been accomplished
by the unlimited use OF money, by play
ing upon.the opposition Of good men to
the application Of charters, and by
their control, through the ownership OF
certain dominant politicians Of both
political parties, of nominations TO the
the Legislature.
The market value Of their stock has
risen from S35 per share, in 1879, to
81 200 per share in 1890, so that now 1t
is more than double that OF the whole
banking capital Of the State. They
have built up the original capital which
was never subscribed, and have accu-
mulated an enormous surplus of un-
known amount. while declaring diyi-
dends OF so to 100 per cent per annum.
and that. too. out OF only one-half OF
the net earnings, as the other half be-
longs to the leSSees, Howard and Morris,
Definite information as TO their list OF
stockholders. officers, profits and buSi-
ness affairs cannot be obtained. aS they
are ouite studiously concealed from the
public. The scheme Of their drawings
has increased from a monthly prize OF
$40. 900 to a monthly capital prize OF
5000. 600. and a semi-annual prize OF
5000. 900. The aggregate OF the schemes
of the monthly and semi-annual draw
ings is the fabulous sum OF S2s,0O0,0O0
per annum. and the aggregate OF their
daily drawings is over 10000, 900 more.
They receive annually million and a
quarter from the written policies sold
on the numbers Of the daily drawing,
apart from the sale Of the regular
printed tickets. They receive annually
about So. 900. 900 from their monthly
and semi-annal drawings. The schemes
OF the last drawings are so arranged
that they can sell % per cent. Of their
tickets, pay ten per cent for selling
them, lose all the prizes provided for in
the schemes, pay million dollars FOR
expenses and still make 50, 600, 600 profit
per annum.
DENOUNCED As FRAUDULENT.
We make no idle assertion when We
denounce these schemes as fraudulent.
Even from lottery standpoint this
Company offers to distribute less than
ffty-three per cent. in prizes: No au-
/ thorized lottery on earth that We know
Of outside of Mexico, is allowed to dis
tribute less seventy per cent. The
chance to win a prize Of any sort in one
Of these drawings is about one in thirty,
whereas, If it were an honest lottery ii
would be at least one in ten. These
were the reasons which induced two
Postmaster Generals of the United
States to exclude it from the mails as n
/ fraudulent lottery.
What is known aS the daily drawing
takes place every day except Sunday,
3l3 per annum. The scheme is based
on the tenary combination Of the nat
ural numbers from to -, and on some
days from 1 TO -, giving in the one
case 500, and in the other 67,525 dif-
fereut combinations Of three numbers
oorb Tho nrizoS maid are ont Of All