St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1891-10-24

the United States has decided that in two
cases. It is mere outcast. Its existence
is a matter entirely within the police
power OF the State. 1t can not buy it,
!. right of existence from the State, even BY
s, paying for tt. Itcan only run as long al
the governmental power of the State says
Fit can run. The government may with
draw fts consent ana down comes the
whole edifice. (Applause.)
i Now, my friends you can see that this
$5,00O,O0O corporation is not only unlike
any other money power built up by legis-
lative action, but it is worse than a pow.
der magazine in your midst. That corpor,
alton has got to protect itself, has got to
live How will it do it? A majority of the
Legislature at any time can call a consti-
tutional convention, the people can elect
delegates and away goes the lottery grant
(Applause.)
Now put this proposition toyou: Don't
you think that the lottery company will go
into politics to prevent that majority of the
Legislature from ever being elected? Don't
you think that they will move heaven and
earth to control the majority of that Legis-
lature? Don't you know that the enorm-
Gus efforts which will be made to control
that majority of the Legislature will bring
them into politics in every part of this State !;
that they will have to go down to the pri-
maries; that they will have to control the
politicians and people there; that they
will have to control you5 central commit
tee, the governor, the judiciary? Now put
the question to you as men who want to
live under free government and apart
from corrupting influences in politics,
GLOW
DO YOU LIKE THE PROSPECT
of living alongside of corporation of this
sort, which has got such power and inter
est in legislation that it has got to touch
your politics from bottom to top?" Don't
you know what the result will be? Don't
you know that they will dominate the rail
roads and the banks and the insurance
companies and every other concern which
has a business affected by public interest,
and therefore under regulation by the Leg
islature? Don't you know that no bill can
ever be passed through that Legislature
pany? Don't you know that having con-
troll of the politics of this State in that way,
they will prevent themselves from being
overthrown? You know what it is, my
friends, to be intrenched in political pow
er you know what it is to control all the
officers, the returning officers, the sheriffs,
the deputy sheriffs and the whole machin-
cry Of elections; and don't you know that
If the people of this State should ever un-
dertake by lawful means and through the
ballot to overthrow this monster, they
would count you out every time TAP
plause.) Now, my friends, say that as a
man, as citizen, and, above all, as DEM
ocrat, cannot consent, for any purpose on
earth, to the erection of great money
power of this sort in my native State--a
power so situated that it must live by poll
tics, it gust die by politics, and its whole
existence must revolve around political
center. I say that / do not propose to
spend the rest of my life in fighting
money power of that sort, and that even if
/ were SO combative as to have such de-
sire do not wish to transmit battle of
that sort to my children. (Great applause.)
No man in this State who has got any of
the feelings Of manhood, no father in this
State can say that he desires to surround
his children with political atmosphere
which will lead to their degradation orwill
lead to revolution. (Applause.)
Now, my friends, there is another reason
and an equally good reason, against this
lottery. l have discussed the lottery ques-
ton from the point of view of its being an
honest and fair lottery. have shown
you the destructive influences which exist
in community where a lottery is regula-
ted by law. If this is true about fair lot
terry, what are you going to say about a
thief and robber of a lottery? Zap
plause.)
Now, my friends, challenge the lottery
press and / challenge the lottery orators to
take this question up and discuss it before
the people Of this State. / say that the lot
terry company is
A THIEF AND RoBBER
DcCdusc II hCfcE uFcW oil HoucSt lOtCCTy.
(Applause.)
will preface what am going to say on
that subject by reading to you a statement
made by Mr.. Richard A. Proctor, great
English mathematician and astronomer,
who wrote book on the subject of the
in England great many years ago at the
time Chen this thing here did not sell any
thing but five-dollar ticket and before
the present question ever came up in Lou
isiana. ] am going to read what he says
about the Louisiana Lottery and then I
propose to take up the details to confirm
my statement that it is dishonest lottery,
a thief and robber and never drew an
honest scheme in its life. Here is what he
says:
But the greed for chance-won wealth is
SO great among men of weak minds, and
they are SO large majority of all commu-
mites, that the bait may be dangled for
them without care to conceal the hook. In
all lotteries and gambling systems which
have yet been known the hook has been
patent, and the evil it must do If swallow
ed should have been obvious. Yet it has
been swallowed greedily.
"a most remarkable illustration of the |
folly of those who trust in luck, and the |
cool audacity Of those who trust in such |
folly, with more reason but with more ras
cality, is presented by the Louisiana Lot
terry in America. This is the only lottery
of the kind now permitted in America. In