The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-25
BLOT ON THE NATION.
Rev. Wallace Nutting on the
Louisiana Lottery.
HIS TEN REASONS AGAINST IT.
Lottery Provision in washinetoa st.&.
Constitution-Gambli In Churches
and Business Affairs.

ing. Rev. Wallace Nutting took the text
found IN Genesis i've, And the Lord said
unto Cam, Where Is Abel, thy brother?'
and ne said, know not; am I nv
brothers. keeper?' and urged the neces.
sity of Christian people in all parts of the
United States doing their share toward
putting down the giant evil.
When wickcdness has proceeded far Il
becomes impudent, as in the case of Cain.
the speaker said. The Louisiana Lotterv
Company has become impudent likewise.
Historically, the corporation has been
we'll aired in the PosT-INrELLreEscra
Two articles in regard to 1t appear in the
current number of the Forum. one in the
Revsew Of Reviews, several in the IndeDend.
eM and In the Christidn Union.
which last publication has sent
special correspondent to Louisiana
that the people OF the country may be in
formed OF the facts. Throughout the
country, and especially in the East, anti
lottery organizations have been formed to
give moral and financial aid to the people
OF Louisiana who are fighting the lottery.
The Puget Sound congregational confer
ence, which met last week, sent resolutions
and collection to the Anti-Lotterv
League OF Louisiana. The subject is
stirring the country wonderfully. He
thought his hearers and the people of Sc
attic should not be behind in interest in
such matter. He pointed out that
Northerners had large share in the
organization of the lottery, in the carpet
Dagger days OF 1868, and held that in
manner the North is responsible for il. for
had the North opposed vigorously its re-
quest for charter it is more than prob
able its charter would not have been
granted The speaker outlined the history
of the lottery as follows:
The plea for this lottery was the necessity of
some scheme to keep the money of the people of
Louisiana from going into the Havana, the
Aexlcan, or some other state lottery. The
Organizers asked that the state patronize home
Industry. The charter was for TWENTY-FIVE
years ending with 1893. After few Years of
experience with this institution there was an
attempt made to annul the charter This at.
Tempt was nnaily compromised by an agree
ment that at the expiration of the present
charter the company should never ask for
another, and that after 1898 all lotteries should
oe prohibited In the state During the struggle
IN the legislature the efforts of tho pro-lottery
members to put through this measure extend
Ing the LIE of the lottery met with some checks
OF so remarkable nature that, were we inclined
70 believe In direct interpretations of divine jus-
uce, we should be startled. During the discus
sion OF the measure the worst thunder storm
tnht was ever known in the state passed over
we capital when the last man who had been SCI
cured in favor of the lottery rose to vote, he
was stricken with apop,exy When the mover
OF the bill rose the capitol was struck by light.
ing ana all the lights extinguished. After the
governor vetoed the bill, and it was put upon
Its passage over his veto, the one man neces-
sary Tor two-thirds majority was so i'll tina. he
could not be brought to the House. 1t was pro-
posed to adjourn to his room. His physician
forbade 1t, and while the matter was being dis.
cussed the patient died.
Mr.. Nutting called attention to the fact
that the drawings Of the company aggre-
gate about $50. 100000 per year, and that
from IS, 000. 900 to $1l. 600 600 of this amount
is profit; that the daily drawing held in
the policy shops of New Orleans are said to
afford one chance in more than 10000 to
the buyer of the ticket. This, he said. is
the institution that now, giving the lie to
oil its previous promises, as they are
stated by men who know most about it.
is asking for the renewal for twenty.
years Of its charter, and is Offering a
bride OF more than thirty-one millions to
the state. He pointed out that the policy
OF patronizing this home industry does not
seem to have enriched the state, and that
the great benefits to accrue from the pres
ence of the institution do not materialize,
except TO the stockholders Next Mr..
Nuttng summed up in a forceful and
skillful manner the reasons why the insti-
sutton should be opposed, as follows:
first-lt destroys the freedom of the press
when the company offered to the state bonus
a will sD.. To-
ena'ter, every daily paper in New Orleans ad-
vocaied the acceptance of the Offer There was
not one left to hint that II this monopoly was
WORTH SO much it might be well to inquire if il
were not worth good deal more. There was
not one 10 advise that the privilege be given to
the highest bidder. So eager were these
papers to help their state that they wished
10 accept less than half of the amount, which,
a. appears In the sequel, the company is willing
70 ofier II is not SO surprising that corpora
uon IKE this should buy the control of the
papers, but we are amazed to learn that every
one oil these papers refused to insert a paid
advertisement OF a meeting of the Anti Lottery
league A company capable of welding, and
disposed to WELD, so vast a corruption fund is
NOT only menace 10 free government, but 10
actually subserting free government.
second-The lottery is lawless corporation.
Every corporation is from its very nature liable
70 examination by the state But when a legal
reorisition was made for the production in the
courts of the accounts OF this company, the
BOOKS and the managers were hurried across
INTO Mississippi pro-lottery judge then
required the district attorney to pro-
ceed with the case, at 10 O'Clock at night
ne corporation is not only lawless in its own
STATE, but Is deiying the spirit of the entire
country ! believe that thirty-six states have
laws condemning the lottery. The United
MATES torbids the passage of its correspondence
through the mails And yet this corporation is
pisnning TO prey upon the citizens of the entire
nation for another period OF twenty five years.
Ihird-This lottery is q political machine II
- the Southern Tammany. II rewards its
aenehmen by giving them the management for
= year OF It's policy shops, where q clerk taxes
soef place aud they pocket the margin. Itsup-
ports either party or both, according to It's
interests NO young man, looking to politics as
sproiession, can have Q mind OF his own and
succeed In Louisiana. IL has ruined many
promising careers. 1t has debauched many fine
minds 1t has made purity and politics irnpos-
1ole companions throughout the state.
ronrth-lt is charged, and not denied, that
we lottery lives by bribery. One man who was
porn poor and never had 8 dollar ahead, died
very shortly after the passage of a pro-lottery
.sw. In money belt which he wore was found
uaoo Whenever & law favorable TO the lottery
passes, II IS by q majority of Que The company
gives out thousands OF free passes, and at the
recent nominating convention for Democratic
sele officers, the town where the convention
vas held was so filed with pro-lottery men that
10 one could get bad without their influence.
Fith-The lottery is a hypocritical institution.
" Pseteads tn generosity towards the jewellers
% TIE bottom lands, but in the of year, when
u section is not 20 take place. il refuses to sub
sosioe Tor the repair of the levees. When any
..hes corporation seeks for lottery charter in
me state, the paid lawyers Of the Louisiana lot
se1! oppose the scheme with holy horror. on the