Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-13
The Middle of
the Mann Act
By REV. G. F. AKED.

~
~ discussion of the Mann act
has been made by a Fed
eral judge. He is reported as say
ing that, while the law must be
enforced and that it is his inten-
ton to enforce it, the court is
under obligation to take into aC-
count the distinctions between
those who are guilty of immor-
atty and those who traffic in
women and girls This distinc-
ton, the judge said, must be
marked by the sentences i'm
posed. The man who is guilty
of the lesser offense must re-
ceivc the lighter punishment.
If the judge in question is COR
rectly reported, he is to be warm
~ commended If he carries out
his announced policy, and, still
more, if he can bring about a
general understanding of this ma
ture among Federal judges, he
and his colleagues win be ac-
corded the support Of public opin-
ion. Degrees of guilt must be
noted. There is no reason why
the immoral man should be al
lowed to practice his immortality
with impunity. Nobody but an
immoral person sympathizes with
him when he is caught The law
must not make it easy for him
to sin.
But unless the law is "a hass
and d hidiot," as Bundle said ii
was-or Dickens for him-then
the law must distinguish be-
tween this type of immoral per
son and the scoundrels who daily
and nightly trail girl, hunt her
down, seize her by violence or Sc
duce her by fraud, sell her for
money, and hold her in actual
slavery.
Under the Mann act no distinc-
ton is made Both classes are.
within the terms of the statute,
white slavers," and all, within
the discretion of the judge, are
liable to the same penalty. This
is absurd It is not to the credit
of American lawmaking that tine
muddle of the Mann act has been
created.
Discussion Of the meaning Of
the act is futile. The question is:
Do they wish the matter to re-
main unsettled? For the 81
preme Court in unfolding the
construction placed upon the law
by the lower courts, has used
language which points to the
original purpose Of the act Thst
court speaks Of taking away tne
facility afforded by interstate
traffic for the systematic entice-
hltIiL ~ anu llit tiIsldN tliltHL III
prostitution and debauchery Of
women and more insistently Of
girls Choke and Economics
vs. the United States)
1t has been freely and con
stantly asserted that during the
passage of the bill through Con
gress its scope was widened so as
10 include offenses not at first
contemplated by the promoters Of
the measure. Newspap ers all over
the country have said this. Law
yers have said it. A Judge has
said it from the bench-or has
been grossly unsupported. The
present writer, in all good faith,
has accepted the statement at the
hands of a Federal judge and
made himself responsible for add
ed publicity given to it,
Judge VanFleet. one of the
ablest of the FEDERAL judges, pre-
siding in the Diggs case is re-
ported BY the daily press Of this
city as saying, in reply TO the
contention of counsel for the de
Tense, that the law was not in
tended to cover such cases.
IL am familiar with that ! am
entirely with you that the eN-
IRENE Ohense contemplated is
tratticking i'm women for purposes
Of gain. When Mr.. Mann intro
duced the bill and made q report
on It, the measure related solely
10 traffic in women transported
solely for the purposes OF prost'-
tuition and gain. In its next 10
the last section it is called the
white slave act. But in us
passage through Congress it was
broadcned to cover other kinds OF
immortality, though its entitle-
ment was left and gave rise TO
much misapprehcnsion.'
This, within the last few days,
Mr. Mann has himself indignant
ly denied. lie declares that the
statement that the measure was
broadened in its passage through
Congress is without foundation
1t is eminently desirable that
the matter should be cleared IN
It ought not to be left where il
is. Some capable lawyer should
read an the reports of the discus
sion attending all the stages Of
the passage of the bill into law.
If Judge Nanlrleet was wrong, if
Mr. Mann's present denial can be
supported by facts. then the
drafting Of the bill is nothing less
than a scandal The feeblest lit
tie backwoods lawyer could have
saved Mr. Mann from the lum-
bering absurdities Of the act
which bears his name
Cases which are not cases o.
white slaNerN which can mil, he