, 1891-12-27
whsrs ,.Ths Daily Leader" MAY be Found.
HISTORY OF THE LOTTERY.

NelC Delta. the anti lottery organ, is the
author. In view of the fight now in pro-
gress a synopsis of the article will be of
much general interest.
The Louisaua State Lottery company
was chartered BY an act OF the Louisiana
legislature on Aug. IL, 1868, the act be-
coming a law without the approval of the
governor who permitted the ten DAYS to pAss
without vetoing it. By the terms of the act
the lottery was to'be and continue for and
during the term OF twenty-five years from
the LIST day of January, 1869" This
would make the charter expire Dec. 81.
1898. The lottery company existed IN
der this charter until the session of the
legislature in 1878 when the act was re-
pealed and the charter DESTROYED. The
lottery company disregarded this repeal
ing act, claiming thIt its charter was a
contract with the state which could not
be repealed, and Immediately went to
work for a Constitutional convention,
which 1t succeeded In having called.
The convention met in 1879 and put
the lottery in the constitution by recoguiE-
ing Its charter as a contract binding upon
the state for the period specified. This
was adopted IN the convention by one
vote, aud was backed bv the solid negro
delegation. The company was required
to file a pap with the secretary of state
surrendering its monopoly features and to
pay an annual sum Of money to the
charity hospital in New Orleans. Under
the same provision all charters granted by
legislatures for lottery purposes shall cease
in 1895.
In March 1890 John A. Morris, now
the head aud front Of the lottery company,
announced through the newspapers that
he would apply to the legislature to grant
him a lottery charter for twenty five
years. offering to paw therefor $500. 900 a
year. All the daily papers in New
Orleans aud many Of those throughout
the state Immediately began the advocacy
of the scheme. 1t was at this time that
the anti lottery league was established and
their organ, the Nelo Delta, started. The
legislature met May 10, 1890. AT that
time nearly two-thIrds of the members Of
both houses were opposed to the Morris
scheme. Morris then raised his offer to
5 l 1000, 900 a year and started in to work,
established headquarters at Baton Rouge
and began to Systematically soduce such
members of the legislature as could be
reached. An anti-lottery caucus o. both
I.,-., 40, bali rnainrIty tt hnth !
houses signed a written pledge to vote
against the lottery proposition or failing
to do so their act vas to be taken as con-
elusive evidence that they had been
brbed. Many of them, notwithstanding,
afterward voted Cor the bill.
The blandi-hments OF the lottery poo
pie were finally successful in the house
where two-thirds of the members were
secured. The bill was put upon its final
passage three times. lie the first in
stance one member was taken sick and
could not attend; then another Was
stricken with paralysis as he rose TO cast
his vote. 1t was finally passed in the
miist of a dreadful storm. the statehouse
DtlDE stIUCh ny HkhAullE u on ~
trio lights extiuguished at the moment
the man who introduced the bill gave his
vote. Through the same means the bill
passed the senate and went to Governor
Nicholl for approval. The governor i'm
mediately vetoed it in a ringing message.
The house at once passed the bill over the
governors veto 1t then went to the
senate. One lottery senator was danger
ously i'll and his vote was the single one
required to give a two thirds majority.
1t was proposed to hold a session of the
senate in the sick mans chamber but the
attending physician said the excitement
would certainly kill the patient. In the
midst of the confusion the senator died.
The senate then adopted a resolution that
the governor had no right to veto a bill
passed by a two.thirds vote OF both houses.
The house rescinded its vote passing the
bill over the veto and at once adopted the
. senate resolution. This was three DAYS
before the session of the Legislature ex-
pired BY limitation. Immediately after
the adjournment it was discovered that
the constitutional requirements had not
been complied with-such as entering the
proposed amendment IN full on the journal
of the house and senate with the names
OF the members voting for 1t; nor did the
journal show that it had been read in
full on three different DAYS in each house.
The secretary of the senate aud the
clerk OF the house were at once tele-
graphed for and after receiving instruc-
tions IN New Orleans went to Baton
Rouge aud made the necessary altera-
ions in the journals. The journals had
all been printed but were not yet bound
and several of the forms were destroyed
to meet the changes. These facts were
sworn to by the state printer and after
ward admitted on the witness stand by
both officials.
The secretary OF state refused to pro-
mitigate the act passed by the legislature
and TO advertise it for election by the