OCR Text |
Show NATIONAL LOTTERIES LOTTERmS . It may not be generally generally kno known n thatan that thatan thatan an American national lottery was m- m in- in instituted msUtuted in instituted - stituted sUtuted by the Congress of 1776 andthat and andthat andthat that between that date and land 1820 at atleast atleast atleast least seventy acts weie We1e were passed by Con Con- Congre.ss Congress Congress - gress gre.ss . authorizing authorizmg lotteries for public publicpurposes publicpurposes publicpurposes purposes , such as schools , , roads andother and andother andother other improvementsDuring improvementsDuring improvements improvementsDuring During the presidency of Washing Washing- Washington Washington Washington - itselfIn itself itselfIn itselfin ton , Harvard College supported In pzrt put part by a grand lottery , , with capi capi- capital capital capital - tal prizes as high as $20,000 20000 $ , , . Most European governments govenunents have at atsome atsome atsome some time or another employed na- na natlonal national na national - tional tlonal lotteries as a means of raising raisingfunds raisingfunds funds for the public treasuries , , and andmunicIpal andmunicipal andmunicipal municIpal lotteries have been common commonCuba commonCuba commonCuba Cuba has conducted a national lotterysince lottery lotterysince .since since . the formation or of of/the of the 1the / , the republic . . Fiance financed tl the e war of the theSpanish theSpanish theSpanish Spanish Succession by a lottery which whichwas whichwas was not suppressed until untll 1836 England Englandauthonzed Englandauthorized Englandauthorized authonzed authorized lotteries for harbor im- im improvements Im Improvements - provements and for the financing fmancing of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Virginia Company , which founded foundedthe foundedthe foundedthe the early settlements in America , and andraised andraised andraised raised government funds by that thatI thatmeans thatmeans thatmeans I means until untU 1824 . . Religious and charitable organiza organiza- organizatIOns organizations organizations - tions v w . were ere m in some countries permit permit- permitted permitted permitted - ted to operate lotteries , long after thegovernments the thegovenunents thegovernments govenunents governments had abolished them as asnational asnational asnational national instiutions 1nstiutions On a small scale scalesuch scalesuch scalesuch such exist in America today in theform the thefonn theform fonn form oT of "naffles naffles "mfnes mfnes "raffles raffles " ; , " . which v.hich vhich do not differIn differ differin : ! In principle from the more pretentious pretentiouslotteries pretentiouslotteries pretentiousJotteriesj lotteries of > fjhejast the past ) . , But during the last hundred years yearsthe yearsthe ' the trend of ' sentiment throughout the theworld theworld theworld world has been against aga1nst lotteries , , par- par particularly par particularly . - ticularly in the United States , where wheredrastic wheredrastic wheredrastic drastic legislation for their suppression suppressionhas suppressionhas suppressionhas has been enacted . Still the gambling bling instinct is per- per perhaps per perhaps . - haps as strong as ever and finds op- op opporttmitles op opportunities . - portunities portlmiUes porttmitles for fer expression in many manywaYS manydays manyways waYS days , ranging from the outnght outright outnghtmethod outrightmethod outrightmethod method of gaming table to la lawful lawfulspeculation lawfulspeculation wful wfulspeculation speculation fn in markets and stock , re- re regarding.the regarding re regarding - garding.the gardingthe garding . .the the . the morals of which there is ismuch ismuch ismuch much difference of opinion opln1on , evenamong even evenamO"lg evenamong amO"lg amOlg among " the better elements of society |