The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-07
MERITS OF the GOVERNMENT LOTTERY.

MERITS OF the GOVERNMENT LOTTERY.
Now that the experiment is success
fully ended, and the Kiowa lands dis.
posed Of peaceably, the government Is
receiving no end of abuse from parcel
of tea drinking moralists who We're in
no wise concerned, other than as remote
on lockers. These are reinforced by dis
gruntled gamblers, though. like the can
teen reformers, whose most earnest sup
porters were the brothel keepers, the
the company into which their one-eyed
opinions have led them.
OF the anti-government lottery lucr-
brations which have been admitted 10
the public prints. the following from the
New York Sun is a choice specimen:
The very body which frames the laws
breaks them. We have lately had the
humiliating spectacle of our general gov
eminent instituting a land lottery, after
passing laws against lotteries. against
the desire of millions of her people, after
having debarred any chance scheme the
use of the mail for advertising purposes,
after legislating out of existence the
Louisiana lottery, which was great
benefit to thousands of American citi-
zens.
This is plainly the language of a de-
posed lottery sharper. That it should
appear on the editorial page, anony-
for by the joking propensities of the
Sun.
The parallel between the land lottery
conducted by the government and the
Louisiana swindle is drawn by fool
There is no likeness whatever. The
Louisiana lottery prospered from con-
tributions only a small portion Of which
was returned in the form Of prizes. The
monthly profits of the company were
enormous. AS near as could be esti-
mated, at the time of the final struggle
to legislate the lottery out of existence
in 1890, the employees of the departments
| and the citizens Of Washington were
-mulcted every month in sum approx;-
mating a million dollars.
| Far from being benefit to any one
/ save the syndicate that shared the
| plumber, the Louisiana lottery was of
| manifold injury to the American people.
| It polluted the government of Louisiana,
where it maintained its franchise and
secured immunity from either surveil-
lance Or prosecution, by corrupting poll
supported a powerful lobby at Washing
! ton, and even controlled newspapers
there. 1t was huge confidence game
given the implied countenance of state
and national government. On the indi-
vidual side it was utterly demoralizing.
The device adopted by the government
in Oklahoma, justified by scriptural in
junction and commended by both ancient
and modern experience, obviated demon
alization and the wrongs usually com.
mitted in land settlement stampedes
The drawing Of lots was a free for all
| regulated by a carefully scrutinizee
registration, and conducted in the public
presence. No benefits Injured to the gov
eminent except those of the peacemaker
To the overwhelming majority, in fac
to all save the few desperadoes wht
would have preferred the stain of crin'
to the arbtrament of chance, the plai
and it's execution We're gratifying. Op
portunity was equal to all, man and wo
man, and all the capital of quarter sec
tions for which the drawing was hell
was represented by the numbers draw
from the wheels. The best of good feel
ing prevailed. and the cheers and &C
claims for the lucky ones demonstrate
that latent generosity of Americanisn
which is always in evidence when TAI
play rules the game. If there is an
merit in experience the government Ian
lottery has come to stay.