St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1891-11-28
TRYING TO BRIBE A STATE.

TRYING TO BRIBE A STATE.
From New York World.
There is to be State election in Louis
lana next April, and the chief issue in the
canvass that will soon be under way is the
constitutional amendment which provides
for renewal of the charter of the Louis
lana Lottery Company for a period of
twenty-five years. It is a strange thing to
see the people of proud commonwealth
dividing upon the question whether they
will give an infamous and pernicious
gambling concern the sanction of con-
tract with the State for mutual profit.
Public sentimentin Louisiana is already
sally debauched by the operations of the
lottery in New Orleans since 1868, but if
the naked proposition were presented of
renewing the charter of the company by
law or by constitutional amendment there
is no doubt that it would be defeated.
The company has acquired much influence
and would not scrup1e to use corrupt
means to affect the action OF the Legisla-
ture and of the voters, but it would not
hope to prevail but for the enormous bribe
which it offers to the State itself in the
contract which the people are asked to
ratify.
The lottery was one of the infamous
creations of the Reconstruction" govern
ment OF Louisiana IN 1868, ana the new
'c0nstltutloh. adopteo IN Io5s, uecIeeu tnat
az sueh lnstltutlons snould cease 20 eaas1 ,sns
AFTER the explranon 9I US cnarDeI IN 1922 9ss.
company set to work, not merely to get rid
of the prohibition, but to secure in the
constitution an actual contract with the
State for new lease of life. and it offered
TO pay INTO tne puDLc treasury lne anhuaI
sum OF Si,2oo,ooo 1or. .twenty-hVe years
y 10 make TINS nuge % prlpe u, more enslcing, h
.ne purposes Ior Mnlch slie Ievenue siiollu
Q, ne usea are speGlneu. 70 Tue peopie Wilo .,lo
I'VE N !ne areau VI .ue o1eInoMs 1ln VS. " llie
Mississippi, the prospects rs held @ m out OF an
annual eSPenuaeure a ana ol 9s,ogoO lor ieyees
Anotner $ooOpNu Is 70 ~ ~ 70 lHe supporI "
pup!c sGloois, el9voU ~ ~ aof tlie supper "
pnbnc charltles, 9oooova oead ZOE oa pensions %
conIeoe1ate veterans, 9loo,voo :s lo1 mp InIp1oy- o
ing the dIa,nage anaag g q .nf ci.y VI NsM ", -
leans, anu @zoo,ooo y ,l ~ pe .afngu & oNeI ~
lne genera lunu ol ene nI.ei eft;, mefG - a an
slgnea 70 secure suppoII from az classes M
OF catlzehs VINO aeslre ame ;eh neheit 81 me
expenditure OF tnese sums Wil,ious having
to contrloute dlreclly 70 snem ny taAaton,
anu ILLS IS tlle cIils! .e!lance VI .ue l9e-
terv company ior opcalililis ioI ls
scheme. S Nopoay can uelend Ihe !otleIy
lIseI as an lns1itutloh, VI uehy .sne ,inJuly
T. fo- @ha
menus 1oI tne c9nsbltut1onal ~ a. amenumeh1 ll ~
are pasea upon tne pubic #senshts t5 " oe
derived pa, from .i us coIIuptleen a iuiia :.
lnis puts tne oeaee " ,LoIislala hia ~ 9
numina!ng a posltlon, WHICH snouiu maze ~.
u, II ~ yields as 20 !ne siie enslcelheI. IT, tns
scorn OF an elvin!eu : peopie. ~ mas ol
late taken Prlde ~ us sloMihf plosperl,iy
a,lu its plosPoo.s. .' :. 10 ailP1y ~ ~
able 70 provlae from the resources oI US
people cohellpueea Dy lol9aple =. eaha.ioal'
ior !ne support OF us seMoois' us cnaTl!a- "a
PIE lnsllIutlons, lts puplic ,WoIhs anu us
gelefal au.ninist1a.lol anu .he a cnalacIea sa
ana seI,.respece, Il, ol us peopis Woum hi;e ne
1osIereo 9y !eliance e. upon M 1nelr pupilc
sPirls ana pa!r.o.isln iol .iae 1
oi al puollC ANY ~ eie oIsalls
0I M pupllc oplhlon are seDloplhs 70 1he srove-
ing pretense IhaI tue ptaee can not carry
on lts government Wl1noue. aceegtlng ala 70
rom gampinS concern ina. araMs s: les
revenues rom the weakness 81 anu Vicious |,
cuAdlty OF tne peopie. ms Wouiu W pe
suIhciently degraulng L tile loltery were
regarded as an agency lot araWlng money ly
6y such vie means from lne people OF tne
state VINO were 70 ENJOY tne supposea1
penent, pus the ioWest deptn oI .deplavell
moral sense IS reached Wnen y Is argueli
that ny TINS INFAMOUS NJ aevlce tne oeate W OF
Louisiana VIII De ape 70 draW Iarge s.
snare OF lts revenues rom tne Peopie q q