The Olden Time Series, Vol. 1: Curiosities of the Old Lottery: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, MassachusettsBrooks, Henry M. (Henry Mason)
History
The Olden Time Series, Vol. 1: Curiosities of the Old Lottery: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
Brooks, Henry M. (Henry Mason)
Lotteries; New England -- Social life and customs
Lotteries have of late been a very productive source of
revenue in this State.--The moral tendency of them has been
supposed by some to be injurious to society; and government
have been careful to grant them for such purposes only, as
that the probable benefit should outweigh the evil. By this
means we have seen the interests of literature supported--the
arts encouraged--the wastes of war repaired--inundations
prevented--the burthen of taxes lessened, &c. Manufactures
might also in this way be established. Those which will not
support themselves, it is true, will not benefit the
community; but there are very important ones, which in their
infancy require the nursing hand of government--to such the
produce of lotteries might be beneficially applied. There
exists a spirit of adventure in all societies, which will
lead a number to throw themselves into the hands of Chance in
one way or another, & which, under the direction of a wise
Legislature, may be made to subserve their best interests.
The monies raised by lotteries cannot impoverish the
community--as they are not sent abroad, but only taken out of
one pocket and put into another.
* * * * *
There is also in the same paper, of Feb. 25, 1794, another communication,
in which the writer apparently takes an entirely opposite view, and
quotes a letter of Joel Barlow to the National Convention of France, in
which will be found some rather strong language. When one considers the
place where these views appear to have been adopted, and recollects the
horrible scenes of the French Revolution, which were even then being
enacted, one wonders whether the French authorities valued human life as
much as they did property.
ON PUBLIC LOTTERIES.
MR. CUSHING,
AS our Legislature have lately had under consideration a
bill, for granting a Lottery to Harvard College, I beg you
will publish what our countryman, Mr. BARLOW, said on the
subject of Public Lotteries, in his Letter to the National
Convention of France. It is as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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