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Show THE BIG GAMBLERS. The. lottery won the day in the New Orleans primaries and the country is threatened with a continuance of the demoralizing influence of that vast crime which, octopus like, is trying to to fasten itself upon the state of Louisiana Louis-iana by a new charter to be voted for at the spring election. The anti-lottery committee has issued a circular calling tbe people of the United States to aid it in the campaign against this great gambling monster. Its power is a crime against the principles of the national na-tional government, a violation of the sacredness of the sisterhood of states, and a menace to public morality in all the states. In their efforts to prevent its continuance the anti-lottery citizens of Louisiana should have not merely the sympathy of the people in all the states, but they should have the substantial sub-stantial aid that will enable them to conduct a canvass which will defeat the j designs of the corrupt organization which is attempting to hold itself in existence ex-istence by the corrupt expenditure of millions of money to secure the renewal renew-al of its charter. The circular among other things says: In IST'J the legislature repealed the charter char-ter by a majority of only two votes in the senate. This repeal was practically nullified by an injunction issued by the United States district judge for Louisiana, who, in spite of the decision of the supreme court of the United States, rendered in the case of Boyd vs Alabama, that an immoral bargain, such as this charter enclosed, was a sacred compact, com-pact, protected by the constitution of the United States, and binding upon the police power of the state. : The same legislature that repealed this charter called a constitutional convention: This convention was attacked by the lottery people by their usual methods, with the United States judge's decision, and with promises to give up its monopoly, to retire from polities, and to allow the insertion in the constitution of a provision prohibiting all lotteries after January 1, 1895. Several distinguished attorneys of the Lottery Lot-tery company were elected to this body. The whole convention was surrounded by a strong lobby of purchased respectability. Under these combined influences a provision was inserted in the constitution reinstating the repealed charter without the monopoly feature, fea-ture, and providing that after January, 1895, all lotteries should be prohibited in the state. This provision was intended as a compromise, compro-mise, and rather than defeat the who'e constitution con-stitution in which it was imbedded, the people adopted it with the belief that in a few years the evil would die beyond the prospect of resurrection; and such was the pledge of the lottery company. Mark the result. With this new lease of life came new and incredible power and prosperity. They have practically enjoyed their renounced monopoly, mo-nopoly, by preventing every legislature since I860 from granting additional lottery charters. This has been accomplished by artifice and corruption, by playing upon the opposition of good men to the multiplication multiplica-tion of such charters, and by their control through the ownership of certain dominant politicians of both political parties, of nominations nom-inations to the legislature. The market value of the stock increased from $35 per share in 1879 to $1200 per share in 1890, representing twice the value of the whole banking capital of the state. Thcy bave built up the original capital which was never subscribed, and have accumulated an enormous surplus of unknown amount, while .declaring dividend of from 80 to 170 per" ent per annum out'pf only one-half of the yiet earnings, the other half belonging to the lessees, Howard and Moris. Definite information as to their list of stockholders, officers, profits and business affairs cannot be obtained, as they are strictly strict-ly concealed from the public. The scheme of their drawings has increased from a monthly capital prize of $30,000 to a monthly capital prize of $300,000, and a semi-annual prize of $000,000. The aggregate of the schemes of the monthly and semi-annual drawings is the fabulous sum of $28,000,000 per annum; and the aggregate ag-gregate of their daily drawings is over $20,-000,000 $20,-000,000 more. They receive annually 2,-250,000 2,-250,000 from the written policies sold on the daily drawings apart from the regular printed tickets. They receive annually about $22,000,000 from their monthly and semi-annual drawings. The schemes of the more recent drawings are so arranged that they can sell 75 per cent of their tickets, pay 10 per cent for selling them, lose all the prizes provided for in the schemes, pay 1,-000,000 1,-000,000 for expenses, and still make 3,000,-I 3,000,-I 000 profit per annum. |