The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-18

against this species of gambling, but more
is, perhaps, due to the changing aspect
from which the evil is being viewed. The
traffic heretofore has been carried on so
openly that its sheer publicity gave it an
air of demi-respectability, but the stricter
laws and the agitation against the trade
has put the stigma of criminality on the
traffic and drawn it deeper under the sur
face, and made it more difficult for the IN
initiated to secure tickets.
Dealers now sell only to their friends.
They dare not deal freely with strangers,
and as result many who would otherwise
buy are kept from doing SO by ignorance
or through fear of the consequences.
The new law passed by Congress is entitled
'An act for the suppression of lottery
traffic through national and interstate
commerce and the postal service subject to
the jurisdiction and laws of the United
States" It's terms prohibit the carrying
or transmitting, or in any way assisting
the transmission of lottery notices, in any
way or within the boundaries of the United
States. Already this law is having its eff
feet here in San Francisco.
The great express concern of Wells,
Fargo & Co. has applied its terms to them
selves and a circular order has been sent
out to all employees directing that here
after no package or paper which in any
way relates to lotteries will be accepted by
the company, and if such contraband mat
ter is submitted and accepted the employe
so accepting the matter must be person
ally responsible.
Those who ply the questionable trade of
selling lottery tickets are looking for loop
holes in the law. The telegraph COM
panies give the ticket-dealers some COM
fort.
L. W. Storror, superintendent of the
Pacific Postal Telegraph Company, yester-
day said: "Our company would not re-
fuse lottery messase, even though the
message showed on its face that it related
to the drawings of a lottery company.
''That law does not apply to US at all.
We do not send papers, nor instruments,
nor lottery tickets, nor advertisements.
We send only their contents, and the law
says nothing about that at all. The tele-
graph companies are peculiarly situated
We are, in great measure, common car
riers, and as such we have no right to re-
fuse any message which is submitted. Of
course, there is a rule against messages of
an obscene or profane character but those
messages show their character on the face
of them. What do we do when it is plainly
apparent that message refers to lotteryP
Well, that's another matter. Obscene mes
sages are against the law. OF course, lot
terry messages are, too, so far as the mails
are concerned, but then we send only the
contents; we don't send the message
itself," and Superintendent Storror again
peered at copy of the law which was
handed to him in order to better explain
Just where an illegal obscene message and
an illegal lottery message, when the ma
ture of both is apparent, differed, particu-
larly when being offered for transmission.
Frank H. Lamb, assistant superinten-
dent of the Western Union, was not so
sure the law did not apply to his COM
pany. "The question is one which should
be submitted to lawyer" he said, ''but
there is one thing, we are governed by the
laws relating to interstate commerce."
That was all Mr. Lamb would say.
AS to telegraph companies it is believed
that the title, which includes all common
carriers under the interstate commerce
law, must of necessity include the trans
mission Of lottery news by telegraph as
well as by express.
The greatest blow which could be struck
at the traffic in this city would be to forci-
bly, suspend the transmission of the lists of
winning numbers. AT present the lists
come by telegraph, and are sent as news
and at press rates. Should they be
stopped no one would buy tickets, as there
wouId then be no easy method of learning
whether OF not the tickets had won.
Aside from compulsion, however, the
better class of citizens is beginning to real
ize the disreputable character of the bust
ness. They have not only stopped buying
themselves, but are using their influence
to prevent others from doing so, and are,
in this way. making the first step toward
finally suppressing the yice-promoting
traffic.