The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-02-12
LAW AND THE PUBLIC TOO MUCH,
President Morris of the Giant Corpora
tlon confessos That the Bitter Com
test waged in LOul'lana and
o.hor states and the supreme
Court Decision Are Too
Mighty to BE Resisted.

ing letter will explain itself;
The People Of Louisiana'
NEW ORLEANS, La, Feb. 3, lS09.-ln the
spring of 1888 was, at different times, APP
preached by a number of prominent DEM
ocrats of Louisiana who urged upon me
the propriety, in the interest of tho finances
OF the state, of submitting to the legisla-
ture proposition for constitutional
amendment, which would grant to
me and my associates lottery priv
ilege for twenty five years in
consideration of license sufficiently high
to be of material assistance to the state.
1t was urged upon me by these gentlemen
that my associates and | should be willing
to give to the people of Louisiana an OPP
portunity of obtaining proportionately, as
great material benefit from the proposed
charter as the holders of the charter have
obtained from the current one.
l was assured that the proposition
would meet with little If any opposition
under those conditions, for the opposition
to the present charter was said to be based
mainly upon the fact that the amount
of license paid was entirely mad
euuate in the light of the needs
of the people to the prevention of
increased taxation, or the reduction of
present taxation by providing for schools,
levees, etc. These suggestions prompt
ed me to announce to the people Of Loui-
siana that l would apply for such a
charter and would give the sum of $500, DOC
per annum as license tax.
Until had announced that l would
make such C proposition to the state, there
had been no opposition manifested toward
the continued existence of a lottery in
Louisiana.
After had publicly submitted my Offer
to the people and had committed myself tC
its terms, to my surprise some of the
prominent men who had approached me
on this subject and who had urged me t
make such a proposition became
opponents of the project ant
aided in organizing public hostility
against it. At the solicitation Of mum
Der of gentleman who still favored the
proposition and whose property haC
suffered from overnows of thu
Mississippi river, l increased thu
amount that had originally offered to pay
as license tax for the prevailing Of anew
charter to 81 100000. This latter was in
creased still further by the legislature tc
S1,25), 900 per annum, and in this condition
the amendment was ordered to be referred
to the people by the requisite two-third'
vote of each branch of the legislature.
Then began crusade on the part o.
those opposed to the proposition, inside
and outside Of the state. for the purpose
of preventing the adoption of the revenue
amendment and making the management
of the lottery as Objectionable to the PEG
pie of the United States as possible. TIT
fact that Sl,25O00J per annum
license tax, which was to be paiC
to the state of Louisiana, would be de
rived from business which would CONF
from other states and foreign countries
brought about the enactment by congress
Of what Is now commonly known as thu
anti-lottery postal law 1t was charged
at all times that 1t was my object Il
have the revenue amendment passed
by negro votes against the wishe!
and desires of the white people o
the state of Louisiana yet, on al
occasions, had strongly urged that the
amendment SHOULD be submitted to thu
white people at primary election so tha
they could pass upon the question whether
they wanted the amendment adopted OF
not as | had no desire TO be connected
with the proposition unless it received the
approval of decisive majority of the
white people of the state of Louisiana
After the passage by congress of the
"anti-loJtery postal lawn ! was Informed
by number of eminent and able attorneys
whom consulted that this law was vic.
lation Of the rights Of the state and of the
freedom of the press, and such would be, in
their opinion, the decision of the supreme
court Of the United States. Accordingly
test cases on the question were made up
and submitted TO that court for determine
ton From the institution of the test
cases until now the opposition to the rev.
enue amendment has intensified in its
bitterness.
Realizing thoroughly, my associates and
], that we have been incorrect in our opin.
ion Of public sentiment on this question Of
a new charter, and not desiring to see
the people of the state OF
Louisiana involved in strife
over'the question, hereby declare upon
my P"rO anu Ou INC phIJ VI my aSbOclaJcS
that we would not accept or qualify under
the amendment, even were it to be adopt
ed by the people at the general election Of
April next.
AS the supreme court OF the United
States has decided the anti-lottery postal
law TO be constitutional, it Is my purpose
and that Of my associates TO respect that
law and abstain from violating it In any
manner
Our offer was prompted as much by
desire TO benefit the people Of louisiana
as by the prospect Of profit to oursel YES
from the grant as business
proposition. My associates and
I are closely identified with the
interests OF the people of Louisiana, as we
own much property within the bord ers OF
the state. Convinced that the granting OF
another lottery charter in the state would
be the cause Of continued agitation and dis
content upon the part OF number Of the
citizens OF Louisiana for the entire period
Of which q charter might be granted, we
would be unwilling to accept such q char.
tor even though 1t was given 10 Us without
the payment Of 81 Of license tax
JOHN A. Morris.
The Widow Held for Murder.
EuRERa Kan Eah AZ A. .,..f.r,