St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1890-12-06
OPEIOUSAS, SATURDAY, DECEMBER SU
TANGIBLE RESULTS.
New Della.

| New Delta.
That the anti-lottery agitation has
had some actual, tangible results is
now beyond question. When the
Anti-Lottery League commenced its
work last spring the lottery's cham
pions called it band of irnpotent
fanatics, whose efforts would come tc
naught It has been about seven
months since the movement against
the lottery was inaugurated, and the
actual results SO far are something
wonderful. From the Atlantic to the
Pacific, from Maine to Texas, the press
of the country is massed in solid bat
terry, pouring hot shot into the gam
blers. We except, of course, the larger
part OF the New Orleans papers, who
have reason to stand opposed to the
otherwise unanimous sentiment of the
newspapers of America. The society
for the suppression Of vice has taken
in hand the sale of lottery tickets and
is having arrested and punished the
vendors. Two great States have in
serted in their. constitutions anti-lot-
terry articles. Judges all over the coun-
try are charging the grand juries OF
their courts to indict the lottery deal
ers. The attorneys general Of Michigan,
Ohio, Illinois, Texas and other States,
both of their own motion, and by re-
quest of their respective governors are
conducting investigationsaa,ld putting
on foot measures to prevent the illegal
business of selling lottery tickets in
their States. The Congress Of the
United States has closed the mails to
the lottery business whether conduct
ed by the gamblers in their own names
or disguised under those Of agents.
The Federal judiciary authorities have
set on foot prosecutions, both for
violations OF this postal law, and for
breaches of the anti-lottery statutes of
the District Of Columbia.
The leading express companies have
shut down on the nefarious business,
and refuse any longer to be used to
further the interest of those gamblers.
The people all over the Union, enlight-
ened on the subject of the outrageous
unfairness Of the lotterys scheme, have
in large measure ceased to buy their
tickets. Even in our city, where the
legislation of the other
States and Of Congress has no effect,
the receipts of the corner gambling
bells, known as policy shops, have been
cut down at least one-half. And, taken
as whole, the contest Of the last seven
months has proven most disastrous
one for the great keno game. Since
the first of September the lottery COM
pany, we are informed, has discharged
a large number of its clerks for the
reason that it had no business for them,
its correspondence and business having
fallen off to a tremendous extent. And
now the force in the post Office at this
place has been reduced, the stoppage
Of lottery mail matter being assigned
as a reason. These are further proofs
that the. lottery's business has fallen
off tremendously
All Of this is directly a consequence
of the agitation OF the lottery ques-
tion by sthe little handful OF fanatics"
as the iottery's papers were pleased to
denominate the originators of this
And right here let US say
that this "little handful of fanatics" is
backed by the unanimous press of the
country, by the weight of public
opinion in the Union, and has received
the Endorsement of unanimous vote
Of both the Senate aud House of Re
of the United States of
America-three things that cannot be
said OF any other movement over or
iginated in this country.
This cutting down of the lotterys
receipts is curtailment, just that far,
Of its power. In just as much as we
clog the hopper OF receipts, just so
much do we diminish the flow from
the spout of corruption. In seven
months we have decreased the lottery's
power for evil at least one-half Is not
that something tangible to show for
our labors? And is it not encourage
ment enough for us to 'let the good
work go on?"
The widest enthusiast among the
fanatics never dreamed of accom-
plishing so much in SO short time !;
and we view with mixed astonishment
md gratitude the stupendous results.
The achievements SO far will not,
however, satisfy us. We do not pro-
pose to stop at scotching the serpent,
we propose to kill it. Wepause in the
work of destruction only long enough
to congratulate our fellow-workers and
the world at large ON the result so far
of the labors of the Anti-Lottery
League, and then grasp our weapons
again with a determination to com
plete our task and slay the monster
outright. To cripple it is not enough.
1t must die.
The Times-Democrat says "The
English papers note that the attempt
to improve the quality OF Indian cot
ton by planting American seed has
proved a failure, after having been
thoroughly tested. The American
cotton is the finest in the world, and
India and Egypt have been
able to compete with it in the lower
grades, they have never been able to
produce the higher grades OF the
staple. Thinking that this was due
to the quality OF the seed used instead
Of to the soil and climate number
Of Englishmen determined to plant
the American seed in India. Several
varieties OF it were taken there and
f1nk