Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-03
City Authorities of Des M0ines
to Appeal to Legislature
for Aid
BoNDsMEN SYSTEM MENACE
Japanese Law Suggested as Pattern
Would Make All Debts Contracted
by BrotheI Inmates Illegal = Cum
minis Goes East With Strong Gre
dentias.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to imes-RepubIican.
Des Moines, Dec. 3.-Baffled in their
efforts to combat the white slave traf-
sic in Des Moines, city authorities may
appeal to the legislature when it con-
venes for a law that will completely
put to route the bondsmen, eXtortion-
ate merchants and others who nave
proven a menace in the city.
1t is to Japan they are going for
pattern for this law too. There. where
the white slave traffic grew to such
menacing proportions. a way was
found to give the women in brothels
chance to reform if they desired That
has been one of the chief complaints
here, that women could not reform be-
cause they were thru threats forced
to make heavy purchases at exorbitant
prices and became so heavily involved
financially they could not get out,
The proposed law. enacted. will pro-
vide that all debts contracted agains.
girl in a brothel are illegal. 1t has
been the law that has been held over
the heads of these unfortunate women
in Des Moines that has enabled un-
principled men and women to profit.
Investigation disclosed one of the most
pernicious methods just before the
Red Light" district was abolished ana
it has been carried on, it is claimed.
to some extent since A vendor or.
some wares, under threat of prosecu-
ton because of her business. would
induce or compel a woman to buy
heavily Then when her payments
came due and she could not meet them
he would tell her he had to have the
money and she could borrow of GER
tain pawn broker. The pawn broker
would loan her the money taking y
| mortgage on the goods she had bought
of the vendor, who still held title. That
was the trap. After that any break
of the woman to quit her life or eluda
/ the grasp of these money leeches was
quickly stopped by threat to prose-
cute and send her to the penftentiary
for "mortgaging property that did not
belong to her.
would do away with much of the traf-
fc that is now bothering Des Moines
(! officials.
| Governor Warren Garst today laid
the corner stone for the new law
building being erected at the state
university in Iowa City. He received
jnotice to "bring his troweP and Of
ficiate This event had been planned
!, for later, but the contractor insisted
that in order to proceed with the work
the stone must be laid at once This
evening the governor attends banquet
given in honor Of Irving B. Richmon
/! of Muscatine, who addressed the His
torical society in the afternoon.
Several hundred enthusiasts over the
new language Esperanto thruout Iowa
are sadly disappointed by the an
nouncement from the head agitators In
New York that the language is a fall
IRE and will be given up. They claim
to have discovered it illogical and de-
| fcient in many ways as a worldwide
| language. Many students in Iowa have
spent over a year studying the Ian
| puape. Des Moines had a club with
over 100 members.
Armed with his commission as
limited States senator, signed by Gov
ernor Garst and Secretary of State
HAYWARD. A. B. Cummins left Des
! Moines for Washington. certified
commission was forwarded to Vice
president Fairbanks, of the senate. In
order to be well prepared for any op-
nosition to him taking his seat, the
governor was also furnished oy Gov
ernor Garst with certified
copy of the proceedings Oh
tho snecial session of the leg
islature that elected him as the sue
cessor of the late William B. Allison.
will President Theodore Roosevelt
incorporate in his message toy congress
the fact that the women suffragists OF
Iowa want the ballot? This is what the
/ suffrage women Of the state want him
To do and in letter received yesterday
from his secretary, William Loeb, Jr,
Inv DIR. Nina Wilson Dewey of Des
lMoines. state corresponding secretary
of the Iowa Equal Suffrage association
If is promised, that the request will be
brought to the attention Of the presi-
dent.
This answer comes in reply to hum
Idreds of letters and kilograms sent to
President Roosevelt Nov. 25 by the
suffrage women of Iowa asking that he
advise congress of the fact that tle
women of Iowa want the right to vote.
10 back up this request to the pres
ident, the executive committee OF the
Iowa Equal Suffrage association has
|called a meeting in Des Moines, Dec.
10 At that time movement will be
started to secure thousands OF sigma
lures to a petition to congress asking
for universal woman suffrage. A state
lcampaign will be made to secure the
necessary 10000 signatures which IL