The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-09-14
AGAINST 1hE LOTTERY.
an Interesting History OF the
Very Doubtful Blessing.

The following brief history of the
lottery curse was read by Captain
Mist, R. N, at the meeting OF st.
Andrews Church Association on
Monday evening, at which time
resolutions condemning the lottery
were passed. The Captain spoke
as follows
I wish to make a few remarks
on the subject of the proposed lot
terry, in order that by taking advan-
tage of the experience taught US by |
other States we may avoid the more
costly experience to be bought at the
hands of these lottery promoters.
The lottery history of the last
three hundred years has been much
the same in all countries; the same
brilliant expectations, the same plaus-
ible promises, and the discovery
sooner or later that whatever sums
NAV be realized by the State by
means of lotteries, the curse they
bring with them in the widespread
Decentralization of the people makes
them too dear at any price, and has
actually, as matter of history, &C
casioned their expulsion from one
country after another until, In des
pair, the promoters come to Hawan
and offer what seem to be immense
brides simply to give this homeless
criminal local habitation and
name.
In France before the great KeVo-
luton Turgot and Necker, the great
est of French fnanciers, condemned
the lottery system on purely imam
cial grounds. Condillac the philoso
pher and student compared 1t to
adebasing the coin" Talleyrand
the worldly-wise denounced it, and
finally in 1886 it was suppressed al
though the French Government had
for a series of years derived an an
nual income Of Q4,000.000) fourteen
millions of francs! The first notice
able effect of the Act was that on
January following the savings banks
of Paris alone received 525, OOO francs
more than in the same month OF the
previous year. Prussia sacrlhced a
subsidy of 100000 thalers, and Aus
tria 100000 forms to be rid OF 1t
The gaming tables of Baden Baden
were done away with In 1917.
In England as far back as the
reign of William Ill. of Orange, the
lotteries were described in an Act OF
Parliament as common nulsances
by which children, servants, ano
other unwary persons had beer
ruined" 1886. They were no
however wholly done away with un
til 1926 when the Government lot
tery was abolished although 1t hat
for many years returned an averag
income of f346,765 considerable
OVER one aeat III tt.tts,;sequarter millions
of dollars.
1 have quoted these figures and
the experience of these several Euro
pean nations merely to show the
price they deliberately elected to
paw. lust to be rid of this excres-
cence.
In the United States the Congress
in 1776 instituted national lottery
and from that time on many addl-
tional Acts were passed authorizing
lotteries for specific purposes as
schools, roads, etc, but these re-
turned about IS per cent. as prizes
fwhat percentage of receipts is to &C
into prizes here?) An assembly oil
ministers in Boston as far back al
1899 denounced the lottery as Il
cheat" and it's agents as ''pillager
of the people," but it was not til
1888 that q society was formed il
PENNSYLVANIA having for its object tn
suppression of lotteries, and it is t
the efforts of this society that tn
action of most of the States in pre-
hibiting their further establishment
due. By 1883 in no less than twenty
six States the Constitution expressl
forbade the Legislature to authoriz
lotteries, and parties concerned al
subject to the imposition of heav
penalties.
In Louisiana the general law PR
hibiting lotteries was supersede
in 1868 by an Act chartering con
pany, and giving it an exclusive pr
vilege of selling lottery tickets Il
twenty-five years. You all kno'
probably, what desperate efforts ha'
been made to secure the renewal
the privilege for another period
twenty five years, and how the ia
ure to effect this has brought tt
lottery proposers to these shores.
Now let US see what it Is that
offered by this proposed lotte
scheme. First, $500,000 year I
general improvements; at least $40
600 in salaries, household, OIL
and personal expenses, two comm
sioners to be named by the Crov
and paid $4,000 year apiece by t
Lottery; $612,0O0 per annum,
about one-eighth part of the es
mated loss to the country by
notification of that part of the Re
procity Treaty, which benefited t
wall; but we are to have parks, g
dens, promenades. ETC., etc., and ST
gorgeous officials, such armies of G
ployees, such households, equipas
and whatnot-and how Is the MOI
to be raised for these and innum
able other expenses2 Shortly Def
the suppression of the lottery
England, it was known that (
agent alone spent $4,000 a year
advertising. The lottery people
Louisiana are said to have control
an income of over thirteen MILL