The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-02-17
READY FOR WAR.
An Alarming State Of Affairs in
Louisiana,
STRIFE OF THE FACTIONS
Created by the Lottery Question May Pre-.
cipitate Desperate Conflict.
ARMS AND AMMUNITION

Are Being Gathered by the Opposing Par.
ties and All signs Point to the Shedding
of Blood.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 15.-There is tc
be conference Tuesday between com
mittees from the lottery and anti-lot
terry wings Of the democratic party
The idea is to arrange n compromise
agree on terms by which the great
gambling enterprise may exist yeai
or SO longer, withdraw the two demo
cratic tickets in the field and name {
new one which both factions may sup
port II is not considered likely thai
the differences will be adjusted. There
is an intensity of feeling on this lottery
question that can scarcely be quietet
by committee action. Neither side il
willing TO make any concessions. 1t /!
considered much more probable thai
the points involved will be debated with
the convincing argument of rifles thar
that they will be decided over a council
table. There is no room for compro
mise, the auti-lottery people believe, ant
they declare that If the Louisiana lot
terry can not be killed by the law il
must be downed in blood.
During the last three months thirty
democratic" clubs have been organ.
ized-one IN each ward of the city. The
membershio of the individual clubs
ranges from fifty TO $50 men, and the
aggregate enrolment is 5000, possibly
more, As the election for governor
will take place in April the forming OF
these clubs attracted but little atten.
ton. AS the clubs were formed and
the membership grew there was q sin.
gular commercial movement At nc
time since Ben Butler assumed munich
pal control has there been such a steady
demand for firearms as during the last
few months. The prices of Winches.
ters advanced and shotguns became
nearly rs valuable as and scarcer than
jewelry. Soon neither rifles or fowling
pieces were TO be had, and manufac-
turers had difficulty in filling orders
Then it was learned that the new ward
clubs were causing the unprecedented
demand for weapons. Their weekly
meetings were secret and were devoted
10 instructing the members in the man.
ual of arms. The members of these
clubs are associated for business
When II appears to them that the lot
terry has such firm grip on the institu-
tions Of the state that the ordinary po-
ltical and legislative methods can not
oosen its hold they will begin the
transaction OF the business for which
they were organized. This will be
taking control Of the state government
by force.
The anti-lottery faction is not alone
in preparing for bloodshed. The friends
Of the vast gambling corporation will
also have an army at its call, but these
forces will not have the discipline nor
the stamina which may be looked for
among the ants When the lottery
men began TO arrange for the purchase
of arms they found that hardly a Win.
chester or a revolver was TO be had in
town. Realizing that the ants had al.
ready made preparations for the ex.
pected conflict, they hastily subscribed
"A considerable sum which was for.
warded TO New England gun factory
and shipload OF rifles was soon stored
in n warehouse on the levee here.
There is an old statute which forbids
the storing Of arms in Louisiana except
such as are kept on sale in stores or be,
long TO military organizations. The
government will prs sently confiscate
these warehoused .ins and in the
event Of an armed &C dict the bodies OF
the lottery men will he perforated with
bullets which theiro n money paid for