The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-12-18
RISE AND FALL OF LOTTERIES

About week since the Supreme
Court of the United States rendered a
decision that the franchise OF the
Fran kfort Lottery of Kentucky, one of
the Oldest and best known lotteries in
the United States, was invalid. This
lottery was regularly chartered by the
State of Kentucky in 1888, and has
been in operation ever since; the new
constitution of Kentucky repealed all
lottery charters, but the owners OF the
franchises claimed they had an in
violable contract, and the Frankfort
case was put forward as test. The
United States Supreme Court, speak
ing through Justice Harlan, himself;a
Kentuckian, has now decided that a
lottery franchise is not contract but
privilege which can be repealed at
any time. This seals tie doom of the
last lotteries in the United States, and
assures the extinction of great evil.
so far as laws can do it.
In this connection the Louisville
Courier-Journal prints history of
lotteries 1r Kentucky which shows the
march of public opinion in the course
of century. In the latter part of the
eighteenth century and the earlier
portion of this century lotteries were
held in high esteem in all parts of the
country and employed all sorts of pur-
poses. The New England Puritans
saw no wrong in them; they were run
to pay church debts; Harvard College
profted by wheel of fortune; Yale
did the same, and Princeton raised
S65, 900 in the same way. In Kentucky
from 1892 till 1925 lotteries prevailed
without disapproval; from 1925 to 1871
they were tolerated; from 1871 to 1892
they were generally condemned, and
in the latter year they were outlawed.
This is a condensed history of moral
growth.
The first Kentucky lottery was char
tered in 1892 to raise $500 with which
to build house for the worship of God
in the town of Lexington In after
years churches often received the
financial support CT the lottery. In
1872 Federal Judge, an Ex-Governor
and an ex-United States Senator, re-
ceived lottery charter to enable
them to erect q union house of wor-
ship in Frankfort. Industrial under
takings and municipal improve
ments often depend on this
prop. In 1901 there was a lead works
lottery to raise money to inaugurate
the manufacture of linnen. In 1918
single bill granting nineteen Lottery
charters, the purpose being such as
paving streets, building a Catholic
church, to build a hospita, in Louis.
vile, to erect bridge, to pay for a
public school, to endow several
etc. The grand lodge of
free masons received lottery aid to
the extent of 5000 on one occasion,
and other Masonic lotteries were of
frequent occurrence. Medical schools, |
colleges and public libraries were all |
founded on lottery profits. One of the
most famous of the Kentucky lotteries
was the charter granted to Henry col
lege, which has been kept in operati on
from 1850 up to date. The Frankford
lottery was established in 1888, the
original purpose being to raise
half Of which was to go to
,he public schools and half to the
creation of city water works.
The decline of the lotteries in Ken
lucky and elsewhere dates from about
1880, when the evils of their unchecked
prevalence were felt seriously. 1882
line states had prohibited lotteries,
Ind from that time on the advance of
public opinion was rapid. In the Ken
ucky constitutional convention of
$40 section was proposed to exclude
but it was not adopted, the
ime not being ripe for such action.
After a time the leading Kentucky
ottery charters were sold out to New
York speculators, who continued to
'perate them under the old names;
nut the knowledge that the privileges
Tere in the hands of professional
'amblers contributed to make them
and when the new constitu-
ion of Kentucky was submitted, the
nti-lOttery clause gained for it many
otes.