The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-13
EFFECTS OF LOTTERIES
The Pastor of the New Jerusa-
lem Church Writes a Let
ter to the Point.
Misery That the Efforts to Get
Money by Chance Has
Wrought.

The following interesting letter from one
OF the ministers Of this city shows the in
terest that the Calls movement to sup
press lotteries and lottery advertisements
has awakened:
APRIL IL, 1895.
To The Editor San Francisco CalI-DEAR SIR:
Kermit me to express to YOU nay thanks for the
noble stand you have taken in the suppression
~ n,I Inc details OF such corrupting news as the
~, .Queensberry scandal and also on the lot
regard the lottery as one of the most de-
LESLIE 1nstLutlons in the country, for reasons
s "nlc4 "a wiz presently state. And 1 wish to
"a! a. tne outset IN at all rafles and other deal
| 1ngs IN chance which private persons and even
cnurches, resort to at times for raising money
are hotnlng less than incipient lotteries which
| pave the way TO patronage OF the la rger con-
Germs. And what that means have wit
messed, FOR TWO years 1 was a resident of the
STATE OF Louisiana and saw the WORKINGS of the
then existent Louisiana State Lottery'5 at close
range. win pass over its terribly corruptinS
| influence upon politics, municipal, State and
even nationa 10 speak only OF its effects upon
some of its patrons.
Besides its great semi-annual and monthly
drawings advertised to the world ii held
| smaller drawings, which, If 1 mistake not. were
daily and only locally patronized- And so
popular did these become that there were
| thousands of people whose sole ambition il
was to earn or beg the two bits necessary 10
buy one OF the tickets for those daily drawings.
Many mother even, with children dependent
upon her, would procure a lottery-ticket with
the money that ought to have purchased food
for her little ones
Thus, with the temptation constantly before
them, the growth of the habit of purchasing
lottery tickets was like the growth OF the opium
or liquor habit, the greater the number of
tickets purchased the stronger became the i'm
pulse to buy more, for the victim felt con-
stantly increasing desire TO get back what had
been lost Each failure TO win a prize only
made him natter himself that he must GER
ta1nly win some time, and then the adroit pub
LEGATION OF the lucky tieket-holder's name made
him believe that his chance for the next prize
was Just as good as any other persons. And
so, without stopping 10 reflect that to his one
chance OF winning, there were twenty thou
sand or more chances against winning he
would purchase another ticket. The democrat
1Zing effect upon the community was some
thing terrible. In the constant hope of getting
something for nothing or q great deal for very
little those patrons OF the lottery lost all inter
est III their respective emplOyments and trades.
They were continually expecting 10 draw the
coveted prize, which would make them indie
pendent. Those able to buy the tickets for the
large monthly or semi-monthly drawings
would often incur large debts. One instance
OF the many will suffice A physician bought
lot OF very fine furniture, stating that al
certain time he was to receive q large sum OF
money which would then be due him. The
only foundation on which he based his pledge
to pay was the lottery ticket he had in his
pocket, as was proven later.
The career OF what may be termed the
lottery ticket fend who had become addicted
to the habit was demOnstra ted in Louisiana to
be marked by three steps or degrees. First
came the borrowing OF money 70 buy tickets,
expecting OF course 10 pay back out of the to-
be-acQuired fortune. Secondly, no longer able
to borrow, he begs for nickel here and dime
there with which TO buy ticket. And lastly,
when begging has ceased 70 yield the requisite
amount Tor tickets and sustenance, he turns to
pilfering TO get it.
One needed but to look into the wildly glar.
ing eyes and hsggard expectant faces Of the
groups OF men and women gathered around
the places of the daily drawings to be con-
WINGED OF the soul-bhghting effect OF that fas-
cinating evil
E-oYn hot hoe b.ar lii
pear that the man or woman who purchases
lottery tickets is unYittingly being drawn into
maelstrom whose tendency is toward the
prison or the gauoTs or Tretehed life Of
shame. L say the tendency is thither, and
those who purchase lottery tickets who do not
reach those destinations win hare parted with
something OF their manhood and EonanhOOd
IN their dishonest ambition 10 get something
And now, Nr. Editor, If it is not going beyoud
MOUNDS let me add that having seen so MILDLY
the Onghtlng influence upon character of the
untrammeled lottery IN Louisiana, I cannot
regard II IN any other light than as an enemv
albeit uneonscIously, 10 society and an accom-
pl1ee in the outrage and crime Committed hv
lotteries against manhood and morals every
newspaper that publishes the advertisements
OF lotteries or smuggleS in among its news
columns reports OF drawings and the winning
n oI4s anu 'ne names OF successful ticket
holders They are cunningly devised TO cap
tlVate those poor unfortunates (who are also
numerousl who believe that fortune has singled
them out for its faEoTites.
rejoice that the law OF the land prohibits
papers with such lottery advertisements from
being circulated by means OF the mail or ex-
press companies. But unfortunately we have
no law in our State which prevents their being
printed and circulated by the private carriers
Would therefore that every moral citizen Of
san Francisco might become law unto him
sell ana refuse 10 take any papeE-now that we
have one which does not do it-that brings into
his home the gold-bought columns OF allure
nents held out by lottery companies, the ten
1ency OF which IS 10 undermine the integrity
and uprightness OF his sons and daughters
Let me also add that the CALL and its editor.
having taken the Initiative in cleaner Journal
SIN, are deserving OF the moral support and
patronage OF every upright resident OF the city
md State. Very truly yours,
Z. L HIGGINS,
Minister of the First New Jerusalem Church