Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-15

The Louisiana Lottery Dies Hard.
The Louisiana Lottery company is again
attracting considerable public attention, and
while it may not have as many lives as the
proverbial feline it is evident that it has a
very strong hold on existence. Various
States have made the lottery business il
legal. and national legislation has been di-
rccted against nefarious schemes of this
character but the lottery company continues
right along doing business and gathering in
the hard-carned money of its numerous as
well as guilcless victims.
1t will bc remembered that after the
Louisiana Lottery company was driven
from the United States it ostensibly located
in Honduras, for the evident purpose of plac-
ing itself beyond tho reach of our laws, while
still depending upon the people of the
United States for the major part of its
patronage. The company is able TO still
ply its trade in this country, owing to the
fact that the act of Congress which pro-
hbits the use of the mails for lottery pur-
poses is the only national law directed
against the lottery business and in no other
way can its traffic be interfered with, and a
great variety of ways of communication
| and transportation are open TO it, 1t can
| take advantage of steamboat, railroad eX-
press and stage lines and it can also send
its emissarics directly into various parts of
this country from its point of vantage in
Central America. and as the laws stand at
present it is practically impossible to pro-
hibit IFS dpmora liZinp buSiupSs
The announcement comes from the South
that the Louisiana Lottery company is COM
peting preparations for Il line of steamers
to ply between Port Tampa City and Hon
duras. and that cable is also to he laid be-
tween these two points. The Boston Tran
script also has information that the lottery
company has built and is now operating u
large printing establishment at Tampa City,
at which its tickets are printed and from
which these. as well as other literature and
money. are distributed over this country.
The holdnesS of the operators can be Judged
from the fact that millions of pamphlets in
! the gulsc of amanaCs are being sent out &c
tradesmen throughout the country, express
paid. the tradcsman' address and advertise
ment on the back of the cover serving tc
impress the public favorablv as well as tc
ensure distribution.
The managers of the lottery company dc
| not intend. however to work at arm length
any more than they are obliged to, aud it i.
a significant fact that the State of Florida
which seems to fall an easy victim to lottery
| schemes as we'll as prize fights, has JUS
! given the company in question official re
cognition which bids fair TO transfer tho
business to the Everglade State. According
to reliable information bill has been rail
roaded through the Florida Legislature anc
approved by Gov Mitchell. which was st
| disguised that even its friends would hardl,
know it, but whose author grants the RICH
! to print lottery matter within the State anC
enables the lottery company to transact bust
ness within the borders of the common
wealth. Some idea of the adroitness which
characterized the passage of this measure
can be obtained from the announcement
that the discovery that law allowing tn
Louisiana Lottery company TO enter thu
State was a great surprise to even member
of the Legislature.
Judging from the cupidity which led tn
citizens of Florida to recently overawe tn
governor Of the State and allow disgrace
full prize fight within its borders for tn
sake Of the money that would flow to thei
Golfers as Il result, it will not be Difficult
matter for the lottery people to secure
permanent foothold in Florida, which vii
enable them to hold their drawings there
and thus add to the attractions of the sc
ductive scheme for the people Of the Cnite'
States.
1t is evident that nothing short of a ma
tional law will suffice to eifectually prohibi
the conduct of this nefarious lottery busi
ness in the United States and Congress
ought to pass an act at its earliest opportu
nifty.