The evening times., 1897-03-27

1t had not been in existence more than a
half decade before it got so corrupt thatit
almost cot to the point where { was past
pra ying for. like Falstaff-s victims at g ads
hill It had become as cocoa grass that had
got into the soil and so matted il over and
fibered it as To become a part of thecountry
And so it was with the lottery One could
not tell where The lottery commenced or
where il ended, for it was the state, the
legislature, the Judiciary and the executive.
II it had gone along in the even tenor Ofits
way, eschewing politics and resisted pOliti-
cal tempta ton, all might have been We'll
But John A Morris, spurred on by his
success in cqui ring the New Orleans Jockey
Club grounds and converting them into
Meta ralre Cemetery, because he had been
blackballed BY the club. got an idea in his
head that he was about the only real man
that lived in Louisiana. He had his agents
at ali political conventions andin manner
dictated its pIa tfOrms and candidates
The first political defeat that came 70 the
lottery crowd was when Francis I. Nichols
defeated Samuel d. McEnery for governor
in 1888 McEnery was the lOttery's can
didate and Nichols was elected because
of his known enmity to all forms of gamb-
ling But the real fight took place in
the spring of 1892, when the question OF
again licensing the lottery for another
quarter of a century came up before the
people. The issues were plainly pre-
sented.
The churches and the good people gen
orally were opposed TO continuation or
the gambling franchise McEnery was
again the Iottery's candidate for guberna-
torial honors. and Murphy ]. Foster,
kinsnian of United States Senator CAT
fiery was his opponent. There never was
in the history of American politics cam
paiga that excited so much attention The
lottery spent money as TeckleSsly as tho
wind scattsrs she prairie sands IL bought
outright more than half the newspapers in
the State and employed at handsome sal
aries the former editors TO run them dur
inc the campaign. The citizens of New
Orleans feeling outraged at the many law
less acts of the lottery, subscribed 10
citizen fund, which bought nI5 and operated
the New Orleans New Delta, a daily news
paper that was edited with much brillianCy
and strength John A Morris and his corr
many had offered fIattering Inducements
for a new lease of life. 1t was proposed
by the lottery that If another charter was
given, 1t would keep up the levee system
of the State, support its eleemosynary in
stitutions. provide literally for the com
mon schools and wipe out the entire State
debt The offer was tempting enough, but
thepeOpIe were too thoroughly aroused Six
mouths after the election of April %, 1892,
the lottery had pulled up stakes and had
moved to Honduras.
Gems Beauregard and Early were COM
missioners of the lottery for some time
previous To its death in louisiana One
day Gen Beauregard received a long letter
and 81 from q man living in Mississippi,
who wanted a ticket that would be certain
to win He reminded the general that he
had faithfully seT~cd the cOnfederacy four
years. and that at times he had fought
under him He stated, moreover, that
when he returned 70 his home after the
war he didn't have clothes enough to Wad
a shotgun.
Gen. Beaurcgard sent his confederate
friend a ticket. and in the same letter
/ enclosed the following letter; Il trust
that YOU may win the capital prize One as
poor as yeu say you are certainly de-
serves a different sort Of luck from the
kind that YOU say You have been having
Bnt mark INV words: If you stick to the lot
| terry faithfully and as long as you say you
! did the cOnfederacy, when you get through
with it YOU wont have clothes enough to
wad a poDgun."