The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-08-09
THE LOTTERY.
President Harrison peIOtes a Message
10 IFS DemeFitS.

Washington. July 29.-President
Harrison to-day sent the following
message to Congress;
To the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatives:
The recent attempt to secure char
ter from the State of North Dakota
for A lottery company, the pending
effort to obtain from the State OF Lou
isiana a renewal of the charter Of the
Louisiana State Lottery and the es-
tablishment of one or more lottery
towns near our borders, have served
good purpose of calling public attention
to an evil of vast proportions. ii the
baneful effects of the lotteries were
confined to the States that gave the
companies corporate powers and q IL
cense to conduct a business, the elu-
zens of other States being powerless
to apply legal remedies, might clear
themselves of responsibility by the use
of such moral agencies as are in their
reach. The vast sums OF money OIL
fered TO the States for charters are
drawn from the people of the United
States, and the general governments
through It's mail system, is made the
effective aud profitable medium OF in
tercourse between the lottery company
and its victims. The use of the malls
is quite as essential to the companies
as the State license. 1t would be prac-
tically impossible for these companies
to exist, if the public mails were once
eflectually closed against their adYer-
tisements and remittance. The use Of
the mails by these companies is pros
titution of an agency only intended to
serve purposes of legitimate trade, and
a decent social intercourse. IL Is un'
necessary, am sure, for me to attempt
to portray the robbery of the poor
3 and the wide spread corruption o
Il public morals which are the necessar!
incidents of these lottery schemes. Th'
National capital has become sub-hea'
quarters of the Louisiana Lotter,
II Company and its numerous agents AM
Q, attics are conducting here q busines
l. involving probably larger use OF IN
mails than that of any legitimate bus
Q ness enterprise IN the District OF Cc
70 lumbia. There seems to be good rel
son to believe that the corrupun
IN touch of these agents has boen felt D
the clerks in the postal service and D
Oil some of the police officers OF the Dl
tricl. Severe aud effective lcgislatio
should be promptly enacted to enab
ea tho postoilice department to purge u
mails of all letters, newspapers, al
nc circulars relating to the business. ~
nc letter of the postmaster-general whi'
. transmit herewith, points out the
Ih- adequacy of the existing statutes al
suggests legislation that would be
ea fertive. 1t may also be necessary
10 SO regulate the carrying of letters
the express companies as to preve
ap- the use of those agencies to maint'
10 communication between the lottt
'ho companies and their agents or custo
s., ers In other cities. II does not So
the possible that there can be any divis
put of sentiment as to the propriety
closing the mails against these com
nies and | therefore venture to expr
the hope that such proper powers
hea arc necessary to that end VIII be 81
owe to the postonice department.
pre- "BENJAMIN HARRISON
.sno sno EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 20, ls9
''0 The letter of the postmaster-gen
hss referred to by tho president calls
A ~ tention to the inefliciency of the =
ent law, aud recommends the pass
into of the anti-lottery bill recently rep
n ed to the house.