Show A MESSAGE president harrison goe after the lottery booi gooi suggestions made washington july 30 special president harrison yesterday sent the following message to congress to the senate and house of representatives the recent attempt to secure a charter from north dakota fora lottery company the pending effort to obtain from the state of louisiana lottery and the establishment of one or more lottery companies at mexican towns near our border have served the good purpose of calling public attention to an evil of vast proportions if the baneful effects of lotteries were confined to the state that gave the companies corporate powers and license to conduct business the citizens of the othar states being powerless to apply legal remedies might clear themselves of responsibility by use ot such moral agencies as were within their reach but the case is not BO the people of all the states are debauched and defrauded the vast sums of money offered to states for charters are drawn from the the united stales and the beneral government through its mail system is made an effective and profitable medium of intercourse between the lottery company and its victims the use of the mails is quite as essential to the companies to the companies as the state license it would be practically impossible for the companies to exist if the public mails were once ef closed against these companies and the prostitution of an agency onla intended to serve the purposes of legitimate trade and decent social inter course it is not necessary for me I 1 am sure to attempt to portray the robbery of alie poor and widespread corruption of public and private morals which are in of these lottery schemes the national capital has become a subhead sub head quarters of the louisiana lottery company and its numerous agents and attorneys attorn tys are conducting here c business involving probably a larger use of mail than that of any legitimate business enterprise in the district of columbia there seems to be good reason to believe that the corrupting of these agents has been felt by the clerks in the public service and by some of the police officers of the district severe and effective legislation should be promptly enacted to enable the post office department to purge the mails of all letters newspapers aud circulatory circulators relating to the business the letter of alie postmaster general transmitted herewith points out the inadequacy of the existing statues and suggests legislation anat would be effective it may also be necessary to so regulate the carrying of letters by express companies as to prevent the use of those agencies to maintain communication between the lottery companies and their agents or customers in other cities it does not possible that there can be i any division of sentiment as to the propriety of closing the mails against these companies and 1 therefore venture to ex presa the hope that such proper powers as are necessary to that and will be given to the poat office department |