St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1891-12-19
TRYING TO BRIBE A STATE.
From New York World.

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 period OF
TWENTY-FIVE wears. 1t is 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 sentiment in Louisiana is already
sadly debauched by the operations OF the
lottery in New Orleans since 1868, but II
the naked proposition were presented or
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 scruple to use corrupt
means to affect the action OF the Leglsia-
ture and of the voters, but it would not
hope to prevail but for the enormous brlbe
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, and the new
constitution, adopted in 1879, decreed that
all such institutions should cease to exist
after the expiration of its charter in 1893.
As the time of its doom drew near, the
company set to work, not merely to get rld
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 the public treasury the annual
sum of $1,250.000 for twenty-five years.
To make this huge bribe more enticing,
\ I, f,r, hi oh tho shani6
be used are specified To the people who
live in the dread of the overfoWs of the
Mississippi, the prospect is held out OF an
annual expenditure of $350,OO0 for levees.
Another $350OO0 is to go to the support OF
public schools, $150,OO0 for the support OF
public charities $4,000 for pensions to
Confederate veterans, 100000 for. improv-
leans, and s250,O00 is to be turned over to
the general fund of the State. Here is an
appeal to sordid sentiment craftily de
signed to secure support from all classes
of citizens who desire the benefit of the
expenditure of these sums without having
to contribute directly to them by taxation
and this is the chief reliance of the lot
scheme Nobody can defend the lottery
itself as an institution, or deny the injury
that is done by its operation, and all argu-
ments for the constitutional amendment
are based upon the public benefits to be
derived from its corruption fund.
This puts the State of Louisiana in
humiliating position, which should make
It, if it yields to the vile enticement the
scorn of all civilized people. It has OF
late taken pride in its growing prosperity
and its hopeful prospects. 1t is amply
able to provide from the resources of its
people, contributed by honorable taxation
for the support of its schools, its charita
BILE institutions, its public works and It's
general administration, and the character
and self-respect of its people would be
fostered by reliance upon their public
spirit and patriotism for the maintenance
OF all public interests. And yet the organs
of public opinion are STOPPING to the grove
ling pretense that the State can not carry
on its government without accepting a1c
| from gambling concern that draws III
revenues from the weakness and vicious
cupidity of the people This would be
sufficiently degrading il the lottery were
regarded as an agency for drawing money
by such vile means from the people OF the
State who were to enjoy the supposed
benefit, but the lowest depth of deprayeo
moral sense is reached when it is argued
that by this Infamous device the State q
Louisiana will be able to draw large
share Of its revenues from the people o
| the rest of the country by pandering tx
| the gambling spirit and playing upon thu
hopes of the poor, the ignorant, and thu
reckless throughout the land. Nothing
could be more Shameless than the avowa
involved in these arguments, and yet the.
are used by nearly all the newspapers o
| the State, BY public men of both parties
and by citizens who deem themselves res
| pectable.
The contest against the lottery is carried
| on chiefly by the Anti-lottery League
| which has been foced to establish news
paper of its own in New Orleans in orde
to reach the people with its appeals ant
arguments, SO thoroughly has the pres
| been subsidized by the corrupting concern
/ There is hope of arraying the great mas
/ of respectable and thinking people agains
! the insidious evil that MANAGES the State
but there is large ignorant and vena
element in the body polite upon whicl
the lottery company will work with all it
power The sentiment of the country a
large is undoubtedly strong against tn
lottery and all its works, but it is to b
feared that it can not exert any great in
fiuence upon the action of the people Q
/ Louisiana in this matter. 1t might, pei
haps, by its unanimous voice shame tina
State into an appreciation of the degrad
/ ing position it is in danger of takin
among the Comm monWealths of this Unior
and awaken some sense of self-respect.