Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-30
THE LOTTERY EVIL.
A Vigorous Utterance by Presi-
dent Harrison.
CONGRESS URGED TO ACT AT ONCE.

The Attack Recommended To he Made
the whisky Revenue-StrubIe Gives
Reed a Little Going over, and Receives
n Cruel Cut from Democrat
Extension of Appropriations-Wa
ton City News Items.
WASHINGTON CITY, July 3O-The presi-
dent sent the following message to con-
gress yesterday:
1.-The recent attempt to secure a charter
from the state of North Dakota for lot
terry company, the pending effort to OBJ
tain from the state of louisiana a renewal
Of the charter OF the louisiana State lot
terry, and the establishment of one or more
lottery companies at Mexican towns near
our border. have served the good purpose
of calling attention to an evil of vast pro-
portions. II the baneful effects of these
lotteries were confined to the states that
give the companies corporate powers and
license TO conduct the business, the citi-
.ens of other states, being powerless to APP
ply legal remedies, might clear themselves
of responsibility by the use of such moral
agencies as were within their reach.
Debauehes All the People.
But the case is not so. The people of
all the states are debauched and defrauded.
The vast sums of money offered to the
states for charters are drawn from the
people of the United States, and the gem
eral government, through its mail system,
Is made the effective and profitable me
dunn between the lottery company and
Its victims. The use of the mails is quite
as essential to the companies as the state
license. It would be practically impossi-
bic for these companies to exist if the pub
lie mails were once effectively closed
against their advertisements and remit
tances. The use of the mails by these com
panies is prostitution of an agency only
intended to serve the purposes of legiti-
mate trade and decent socialintercourse.
OficiaI Corruption Imputed.
at is not necessary, am sure, for me to
attempt TO portray the robbery of the
poor and the widespread corruption of
public and private morals which are the
necessary incidents of these lottery
schemes. The national capital has be-
come sub headquarters of the Louisiana
Lottery company, and its numerous
/
business probably involving a larger use
of the mails than that OF any legitimate
business enterprise in the District of Co
lumbia There seems TO be good reason
to believe that the corrupting touch of
these agents has been felt by the clerks in
the postal service and by some of the pc.
lice officers of the District of Columbia
Radical Legislation Suggested.
am aft ryiSl
be promptly enacted TO enable the post
office department to purge the mails of
all letters, newspapers and circulars re-
lsting to this business. The letter of the
postmaster general, which | transmit
herewith, points out the inadequacy of
| the existing statutes, and l suggest leg
islation that would be effective It may
also be necessary TO so regulate the carry
ing -nL iisstIers by the express companies
as TO prevent the use OF those agencies to
maintain communication between the lot
terry companies and their agents or Gus
toners in other states. 1t does not seem
possible that there can be any division of
sentiment as to the propriety of closing
the mails against these companies, and
therefore venture to express the hope that
such proper powers as are necessary to
that end will be at once given TO the post
Office department"
The Accompanying Documents.
Accompanying the message are two doc
uments, one letter of the postmaster
general directing the presidents attention
to the subject; the other compilation of
the laws relating to lotteries heretofore
snacted, together with the decisions of
courts defining those laws. In his letter
to the president the postmaster general
says that the urgent necessity of the case
| impels him to anticipate his annual report
by this special communication in regard
to the use of the mails by the Louisiana
Lottery company.