What do "free elections" cost now?

[Rob Wick]

In Pennsylvania lotteries are illegal and have been for hundreds of years. In fact, Ida Tarbell's family was the beneficiary of that law when Ida was a youth. In the oil boomtown of Pithole James W. Bonta had built a luxury hotel that tanked almost immediately after opening. He spent $60,000 in building the hotel. He tried to raffle things off in an attempt to raise money. He had very few takers and eventually his scheme was shut down because lotteries were illegal. Tarbell's father Franklin was moving his family from Rouseville to Titusville and was going to build a house. Seeing an opportunity, Franklin offered Bonta $60 for the demolition rights which would allow him to take whatever materials he chose. Needing money Bonta had no choice but to agree. Franklin's Titusville home, which still stands today (although in a different form than Ida would recognize) cost only $60 in materials, many of which would have gone for much higher had Bonta not tried to use an illegal lottery to raise money.

Best
Rob