The record-union., 1891-11-13
A STRONG APPEAL.

A STRONG APPEAL.
The Democratic Anti-Lottery Execu-
tive Committee of the State of Louisiana
has issued San Appeal to the People of
the United States" 1t is remarkably
strong, compact, and admirably arranged
address. The appeal is for all the help
possible that citizens of other States can
give to the people of louisiana, who are
battling against monstrous evil.
Sympathy the committee believes it
has in plenty, but material aid is evil
IDENTIFY what it wants. 1t certainly makes
strong case. 1t takes the ground that
the lottery curse is not confined to Louis
lana, which is simply the battle-ground
where the common interests of the
moral and patriotic people of these
United States are at present staked."
The people of Louisiana, must, of
course bear the cheat and burden of the
day. and they realize it, and expect to do
their full duty-that is, such of them as
are not subservient to the lottery influ-
ence, or mistaken in their belief that the
money the lottery concern proposes to
contribute to the State will atone for the
evils of the gambling that is licensed
The appeal is quite too lengthy to be
reproduced here. 1t reviews the legisla-
tive Acts touching the lottery, from the
beginning to the opening Of the present
campaign. The lottery was chartered
in 1868 with lease of life for twenty-five
years. The grant was obtained by brib-
cry and corruption. The grantees were
not citizens of Louisiana, the people of
which regarded the bargain with the
gamblers with horror, and the men who
fastened it upon the State with loathing.
In 1879 the Legislature represented this
sentiment by repeating the Charter Act,
but the courts held the contract inviola-
ble for its full term. The Legislature
then called a Constitutional Convention,
which the lottery dealers did their best to
control. On giving a pledge not to op-
pose the closing of the lottery games in
1895, the convention granted comfort to
the gamblers by placing in the Constitu-
tiona proviso for continuance of the games
until 1895, when they were to cease, and
no more lotteries were to be chartered
Rather than defeat the entire instrument
the people accepted the compromise.
But under this new lease the lottery
corporation gained greater power and be-
came impudent and overbearing. 1t pre-
vented any other companies from COM
peting with them, sorry as such compe-
tition might have been. 1t secured a
fioothold in the management of both po-
litical parties; it entered into all cam
paigns and got large representation in
the Legislature; its stock increased from
S35 a share in 1879 to 81, 200 in 1890, repre-
senting twice the sum of all banking cap
ital in the State. 1t declared enormous
dividends, and its stockholders became
wealthy, arrogant and overbearing. 1t
increased its drawings in number and its
prizes in amount until its semi-annual
gated SIS, 100000 a year.
The committee asserts, and defies con-
tradiction, that the corporation arranges
matters so that it can sell IS per cent. of its
tickets, pay 10 per cent to agents, lose all
the prizes, pay 81, 100000 expenses and
still make clear S3,OOO,O00 per annum.
Tho pOnrOittaa daDpf1Daac Suo| Sobay,,oe
as fraudulent. even from lottery stand
point, and points to the fact that the Lou
isiana concern distributes less than 53 PEI
cent. in prizes, while all other lotteries
outside of Mexico are required to distrib-
ute 20 per cent. This Louisiana swindle
has drawing six days in the week, OF
3l3 In the year, exclusive of the monthly
schemes, based on the ternary combina-
ton of natural numbers from / to rs or ]
to 75, giving in one case 76,076 and in the
other 67,525, different combinations OF
three numbers each. Under this plan
the prizes are not in honest proportion tc
the cost, for 81 ticket has a chance o.
winning 81 25 as one is to /, ,237.
Then there are written policies or pets
on the numbers of the daily drawings
with percentage of y to Il per cent. il
favor of the lottery. There are in New
orleans over 100 policy shops where such
policies or bets are written. It is in these
dens that the workingman loses his harC
earnings, and where women learn to de-
sert home and children and feed upon the
deadly excitement of the games. ant
thousands of poor creatures resort IL
theft to satisfy the lottery appetite.
The lottery corporation admits that SO
per cent. of its revenue comes from
monthly and semi-annual drawings. o.
so, 600, 900, comes from without the State
That is sum greater than the revenue ot