The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-09
WHITE SLAVE TRADE
PROTECTIVE LAWS PROMPTLY
PASSED IN THOSE STATES.

PROTECTIVE LAWS PROMPTLY
PASSED IN THOSE STATES.
The DakOtas are the First to Pass
Laws of This Nature; and are
Pending in Several Others; Most
Legislatures Adjourned Which Means
Continued Menace to Daughters of
American Homes, Whom Uncle Sam
Cannot Protect, Until Next Ses-
sions.
Chicago, April 5.-State legislatures
are rapidly supplying the laws needed
to punish the capture and sale of girls.
il traffic which come to be known as
the white slave trade North and
South Dakota have passed laws like the
Lederer bills pending in the Illinois
legislature, and Minnesota, Iowa and
Michigan are likely to do so soon.
In South Dakota the legislation fol-
lowed close upon the message of Gov
ernor Vessey who uttered this warn
ing: Our scattered population and
the absence of large cities, has hereto
fore left lis free from a crime which
has now begun to make its appearance.
allude to the crime of procuring
young girls for immoral purposes. For
this crime against the foundation of
society, | recommend that you provide
the most drastic penalties. The penalty
hot no Inge Y O.
years in the pententiary. with cores
ponding penalties for all accessories"
In North Dakota credit for the le.is-
lation is largely claimed by Represen-
tativc Midtbo of Donnybrook, WHO is u
candidate to succeed Senator McCum
bcr In Iowa Senator Saunders OF
Council Bluffs introduced bib aimed
at one factor in the appalling traffic
for the recruiting of disorderly houses.
I'm Michigan Representative Frank c,
Miller of the House Committee on tn-
dietary at the request of Governor
Warner is preparing bills I'm Illinois
the bills proposed first by United States
District Attorney Parkin in an article in
Woman's World on practical Means
of Protecting Our Girls" have been en-
dorsed with slight changes by the COM
mittee on legislation appointed by the
Woman's World. and by representative
organizations. including the Illinois Vi
GLANCE association and various clubs,
, the Union League Club, Iroquois club,
City club, Hamilton club, Press club,
/ Jefferson club, Citizens association,
B'Nai Birth.
| In Tennessee the legislature is To
reconvenc this month and white slave
legislation probably will be taken up
/ In most states, however, the legislatures
have adjourned Governors of those
Ohio, Indiana and others, have written
| to the committee on legislation that
because of the adjournment they could
/ do nothing for the present, but most
of them took pains to add that the
subject was one demanding attention
Emergency legislation is being urged
in all states where the legislative SEES
sion is not yet ended. The committee
on legislation issued statement re-
garding Che situation as follows: There
have been exposed by federal and state
prosecutors in Chicago facts proving
that an appalling traffic in girls eX-
lists. capture, barter, sale and ruin
of daughters of American homes in
numbers running into tens of thousands
annually, systematic hunt, scducing
and procuring of girls. This traffic eX
| lists chiefly for lack of law or made
quacy of law or punishment provided
which would suppress the principal fac
tors in this predatory traffic. Federal
laws now are protection of alien girls
but states must protect the girls of
! American homes. Innocent girls are
held to depravity by pretended debts;
others by conspiracy with cadets who
live off the profits of white slaves"
prostitution. Therefore we regard the
, situation as that of an emergency. APP
! paling facts of systematic traffic
heretofore unknown confronting us with
knowledge that no adequate punish
ment is provided by most states as "a
check upon that traffic, and we appeal
to members of state legislatures to en-
act without delay drastic law which
, shall safeguard our daughters against
and lives, and the happiness of our
homes"