Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-16
nESERTION OF FAMILIES
NOW REGARDED GENERALLY AS
,nFxTRADITABLE oFFENsE.
,r.,scessary tc Be Classed as Felony
to Secure Return of Fugt-
tive Husbands.
-. riltnr OF The Star:

~ tho Editor OF The STAR
~.c.nt issue of The Star. under the
,.,,rg "pesertion on Increase. you pub
~ article on family desertion quoted
l'' a.. <ew York Herald in which, after
NJ. mat the last legislature there pass
- hill making it a felony for parent
gu any child under sixteen years of
age, II states
-, ,.-s,ns committing this offense may be eH-
An HERETOFORE the father who ran away
tI'ut bis wife and two or three children hau ohiy
ffo'u , hv ferry or trolley 10 the nearest state
70 p frs., from prosecution, as governors Will not
70 p 10 the eAtradition Of any one Tor mis-
demeanoF - !.
e exactly contrary to the facts ana mas
- direct and practical effect in hinder
too the enforcement of the desertlon laws
IN many states.
Tho mistaken impression that extradltion
=. a.ssrters is impossible until the offense
.o5a a felony is popular one growing
Is the fact that in the case of most
,isdernoanors it IS not worth While to ask
.y+radsrioD In cases of assault or
10 ~ larceny or small crimes of That KIND
IL stale Is none the worse Dut rather I'M =
,-o,sd if the offender leaves 1t Tor good
II IA not worth while to take any 'roupie
~ snerd any money in bringing him back
" 1 ~ torn In the NorkhouSe at public eX-
- The crime Of family desertion, how
p" is difffrcnt in that it is an advantage
90 bring back the offender in order that ne
80 snrport tie family which he has lett
10 be taken care OF by the puDic' II -
~. discrarl,e of this natural duty which
=; IN h. desired rather than his punish
ont but the alternative Of punishment
q" ,,casg3ry in order to secure this sup
mort from him. The right of eXtradltion
i tbcrrf Ire important in these cases, ana
.-t..yr+ r.
else such as the statements quoted from
The New York Herald. does the community
harm. ...,-
laws g,yetling every state, 4 misdemeanor
T. an ,,raJitaNIc crime IS much as felony
Is and as a matter uf fact many deSerttr5
have been ana ar being brought back Tor
mis- y-ry 0ffcuSa. Within the last six
wears more than forty descrters have been
brought fIck To- Illinois, where the CRIME
is a misdemeauor EXtrad!;ion is the es-
tabished custom there. and officials 90
Not make any difference between the
cbar-, OF felony and mi~dcmcanor i'll
granting it, Witl.H tie last year several
Geserteys have been rNtTadIisd 10 Georgia
on the charge Of mISdcm"auoT. About the
first OF MAY the governor Of New York
sent a desertcg back To- Brookline, Mass.
and two weeks ago another to Pennsylvania
both Tor miSar mrguur.
Last year both Maryland and Virginia
PASSED excellent family dcsertinn laws. in
each Of which the otfcnse is a misdcmean-
or Since 4 IS particularly necessary to be
certain about tX,radition in the District.
inquiry was mad, Of the governor of each
OF th,st. states before the bill for the Dis
trict was introduced last winter as to
whether there was any question about his
granting extradl.on il We made the offense
misdemeauor Ia n said there was not;
and Governor Montague. after saying that
he had already hun0rrd q reqUistion for a
deserter, added. 'R-quisitiOnS for this
crime ! Will treat in the same manner as
reQuisiti0uS for all other crimes. disposing
OF each one upon is merits. The question
whether 0T not the offense charged is a
misdemeanor will in no wise determine my
action.
II was after careful investigation and
with the full expectation Of getting extra
dition in all proper cases that the offense
was made miSdemeanor in the District
bill
This question has received much atten-
ton since The national conference of char
tiles and correction two years ago made
formal request of each governor to aid
In checking the evil Of family desertiOn by
granting and honoTins acquisitions for de-
serters. Many governors in response to
this expressed a willingness TO cooperate.
! have had other similar responses in a
careful investigation of the subject in each
state since, on account OF the District law.
and in no case have | found any governor
who was unwilling to consent to extradi-
ton OF deserters for nisdemeanor.
There are five states now. including New
York. in which the OfTense of desertion is
felony. Minnesota made il a felony four
years ago but the law was so Ineffective on
account Of its severity that II was repealed
Two years ago and this year the old law
making It misdemeauor was re-enacted
There are now forty states in which the
orense is misdemeanor. 1t is right for
New York to make the offense felony, but
Il Is quite wrong 10 deny the right of ex-
tradition 10 forty other states which have
hot done so. by declaring that governors
VIII not consent 70 the eXtradition of any
one for misdemeanor
Inc felony law in New York applies only
10 deseruon OF children. 1t is not a crime
LOT man 70 desert his Wife in New York
anu ne cannot be eytradited for doing So
WE desertion is a crime in New Hamp-
sh!re' Vermont. Massachusetts, Rhode Is
Idhl. Connecticut. New Jersey. Pennsyl-
rahia' Delaware. Maryland. Virginia, West
sHBhla and many other states. but not in
we" horK For some reason the wife was
Ho' included with her children in the new
s a"' DIS s'e IS IN the laws OF these other
s1a.eS' anu as she was in the District bill
@hich We hope VII be passed at the next
session OF Congress >
II Is TO be hoped that the felony law in
Wv 1ofK Will do much good. but it is not
wOySSdry 10 commend the action of New
t to.A at the expense Of other states II Is
oe'eF 20 encourage all laws which bear on
WI OF assertion, and not to make a
u.hi!he.loh against those OF forty states
-, -" Is contrary to both the law and the
WM H. BALDWIN,