Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-02-11
NATIR, CAPERS.


seem incredible. Sometimes a one
its odd pranks he is
tempted to cry o;It with the preacher
of old, Vanity of vanitics! all is vani-
ty."
Last Thursday upon the receipt of
tine news here that John y. Norris had
withdrawn his lottery proposition from
before the people of Louisiana, that
alert young statesman from Kinds.
Hon. Harry Peyton. promptly intro
duced in the House of Representatives
the following:
Whereas, The House of Representa-
tives has just learned that i'll view of
the recent decision of the Supreme
Court shutting it out of the mails, the
Louisiana Lottery has announced the
unconditional withdrawal of its propo-
sition for a re-charter;
BE it resolved. That this House.
speaking for the moral people of this
great commonwealth, sends greetings
to the opponents of the lottery in
Louisiana. and congratulates the coun-
try that the days of the lottery are
numbered.
The resolution was adopted by a ris
ing vote. and with clapping of hands
Now. gentle reader, listen. At the
very time this resolution was sprung
on the House and adopted with SO
much cclat, that honorable body was
itself engaged in seriously considering
bill providing for the license of dram
shops in Mississippi at so many hun
dred dollars apiece. There they were,
debating how much gold should be eX-
acted and how divided for the legaliza-
ton of traffic that ievies an annual
tribute on the resources of the country
Of S9OO,GOO,OO0. that produces over fifty
per cent of all the crimes pauperism,
sorrow and degradation with which the
people are cursed. and compared with
which. reprehensible as it is. the evils
of the Louisiana Lottery are a mere
bagatelle
The only disagreement between these
enthusiastic anti-lottery statesman
over this license bill was one of details.
Not one of them had the hardihoOd to
defend the infamous traffic on its mer-
its, or on principle. Some of the best
friends it had referred to the proposed
license money as blood money" and.
probably for want of a better metaphor,
because it robs the poor slave to drink
of his money without giving value re
ceived. spoke of the revenue derived
from it as 'stOlen meat
But this is not all Immediately af-
ter the hurrah resolutions had been
passed about the Lottery,and while the
revenue section of the bill was under
consideration, Mr. Potter, of Kinds, in
PRODUCED the following as an amend
ment:
Add after the close the words. Pro
vided further. that said corporate au-
thorities shall have power under this
act to require an additional tax on
privilege license not to exceed 10 per
cent. of the amount required to be paid
into the State treasury for the benefit
of, and to be paid into the city treas
ury.
Now what did Mr.. Peyton. the gen
tleman who had introduced the resolu-
ton about the lottery, do? He jumped
up and made a speech in support of
Mr. Potter's amendment to increase
the amount of the "blood-money" or
''stolen meat" and parcel it out.
But that isn't all of the circus yet.
Next day, while the license bill was
under consideration. Mr. Potter's
amendment having been lost. Mr..
PeytOn introduced an amendment on
his own account to authorize cities
licensing saloons to levy 50 cent.
additional on the State tax. to be
turned into the common school fund
of the municipality where collected.
The lottery proposed to make large
annual contribution to the common
school fund of our sister State, but
Mr., Peyton saw the lottery people
and wanted to go a less amount with
saloon money.
The House voted down Mr.. Peyton's
amendment, but all of the anti-lottery
statesmen agreed that it was proper for
the State to share the blood money"
and stolen meat" on certain condi-
tions, the only quarrel being over the
division.
80 wad some power the giftie gle us,
To see ourselves as itherS see us"