Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-10-27
|NTERPRETS. mann
WHITE SLAVE LAW
Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett
Warns Democrats
Against Change.
WOMEN w ILL ACT. /
Reprisals to be made if Law is Amend-il
ed-AuthOrities Discuss Recent
C0urt Decisions.
WOMEN WILL ACT.
ReprisaIs TO be made if Law is Amend

There are already enough voteing
women of the United States to hold
the political balance of power. The
Democratic party would have cause to
regret should the Mann White Slave
law not be administered to the letter
BY the Democratic. administration,
or should a Democratic congress mod
ify its provisions so that it shall not
reach to the core of moral conduct and
menace every sort Of offender
SO declares Mrs. Kate Waller Bar
rett, national president of the Flor
ence Crittendon Mission and president
of the National Council of Women.
Mrs. Barrett does not threaten the
Democratic party. She predicts; and
in the light Of her forecast. warns the
Democratic party.
The letter OF the Mann White Slave
law, in her opinion, reaches out to
cover the pc, sonal escapades of men
and women; in support Of her view
she cites TIE result of the Diggs-Cami-
netti CA :e in California, i'll which a
iury convicted and juEge gave SEN
tence although the commercial ele-
inert of white slavery was not indl-
Gated by the testimony. That is the
sort of law the women OF the coun-
try want on the statute books in her
furth, opinion, and which their ballot
will show that they stand for.
"The Mann law is powerful arm
to protect weak and silly girls--and
boys, as WE'LL" comments Mrs. Bar
rctt. at is a tremendous deterrent
To the strong minded, self-indulgent
man of means who uses his strength
and his money to blind and overcome
The scruples Of some ambitious str'lg-
Cling young woman, perhsp! with not
a very strong ideal of womanhood,
who in her short-sighted egotism and
vanity thinks she has found a by-road
to fame and fortune and she is strong.
enough to follow without the results
that have followed similar course IN
others; and the man with his superior
worldly wisdom is there to take ad-
vantage of her moments of ind.scre-
ton.
"Now, he will not only have to rec
kon with her, but also with the United
cd States government, which only asks
the question under the law: "What
was your motive when you CAV. her
the money to buy her railroad ti:Set ::
Was she safe in your hands? SIS theer
any interference with 'he right kind
of liberty in asking such question
as this when the common carriers OF
our country are used"
"The Mann law is a nemesis to
MANY a self-indulgent degenerate, too
indolent to work at any decent labor,
who. going to our :im'ali towns and
factory districts hunt our poorly de-
veloped sub-nornal girls with the in
stinct of youth for pleasure and en-,
iovment, men who br:n,: into the col
orless lives of such girls the hrs'
semblance of pleasure they have ever
known, and by playing upon their ere
xulity and sense Of eon::adeship, II
connection with their immoral natures
bring them to a city. There. Mithou
the use Of bolts and bars, such %irl
are kent in slavery as complete q
that of our southern slaves-who'
when the Army of tie Potomac wa
at their very doors, would rush I
their masters houses to be giro pro
lection against their rescuers--oosh
10 a life the horrors and the hardship
of which have never b'rn dreamed >
by any slave driver t!":7 ever curse
the South. -9ti.s
"'That is what the Mann law can &C
comphsh.And by high heaven! the VIC
men of this country and the men q
well-will have something to say be
fore 'one jot or little of this law sha
mass away" Good women need n
protection, but the bad do. and tn
weak and foolish and the srcedv :
we'll"
Authorities Are Divided
Whether the Mann White Sla'
law shah be administered by ii
courts to reach instances of person
vice and sscapades OF mon and "