The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-05-29
Democracy and the Lottery.


For any sane man to pirate about
his Democracy and then advocate the
Lottery, or the submission of Con-
atitutional Amendment for its re-
charter to the people is, from our
standpoint, inconsistent and redicu
lous.
IF the Democracy of Louisiana,
regardless of factional distinctions,
is nnequivocally committed to any
thing, it is an emphatic condemnation
Of all Lotteries. Its utterances on
this subject have been pointed. Just
read this from the State Democratic
platform adopted by the convention
of December, 1883, which nominated
Samuel D. McEnery for Governor,
and which the Democracy of the State
fully endorsed by his election in
April, 1884:
ave declare our hostility to the
entire principles of lottery dealing.
The Constitution declares gambling
to be vice, yet it encourages that
vice in it's worst form, not only incit-
ing to breaches of faith and embez-
element in the effort to get rich on the
turn of a wheel, but demoralizing So
ciety, corrupting politics and imped-
ing legislation, and we demand that
the Legislature to be chosen at the
ensuing election shall enact such legal
measures as, are necessary for their
suppression"
Now, everybody knows ex-Gov.
MoEnery Endorsed this anti-Lottery
plank, and everybody also knows that
Gov. Nichols and ex Gov. McEnery
were, and presumably, now are, in
accord on this subject. Then both
factions of the party were, SO far as
platforms are concerned, pronounced
anti-LotteFy-are hostile ''to the en-
tire principle of Lottery dealing, ="
and demand that the Legislature
shall enact such legal measures as
are necessary for their suppression. +"
How inconsistent, then, is it to
claim to be sound Democrat and
yet ask to give the octopus chance
to fasten its tentacles about the State
by submitting re-charter of its right
to ruin and demoralize, to the people
Have not the Democratic people de-
elared for suppression of the mon
ster by all ''legal means?" Does
suppression mean to give the monster
chance for existence, or for new
lease of life? These Democratic Lot.
terry advocates are inconsistent, and
have gone back on the declared prin,
ciples of the Democratic party.
But the question has ridiculous
phaze to us. How ridiculous and
farcical for men who pretend to rea.
son from principles predicated either
upon morals or sound politics and
economics, to urge that $1,000,00O
annually, or any greater or less sum
ought to influence q people against
s4the stomach of their sense" or the
morals of their hearts.
1t is useless to mince words about
1.-THE offer of Morris & Co. is a
bride. It is an effort to obtain from
our people boon to the Lottery by
corrupting their morals, belittlipg
their manhood, defowering their
State of virtue and honor, by holding
up before them the offers of glittering
gold in heaps, when their necessities
and misfortunes are greatest, and
money most needed.
II virtue be not purchasable com.
modify for sale to the highest bid,
der-if reason has not ''fed to the
dumb brutes"-if the honor of q
State and people be cherished leg.
acy from the sires of by-gone years
if manhood be priced and fortitude
be an attribute of manhood, the offer
should bespurned, although our mis-
fortunes be overwhelming.
The Democrat must do this to be
consistent, the thoughtful to be log
ical--the moral to maintain their in :
tegrity, and the manly to assert their
fortitude IN the presence of misfor-
tunes.