Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-14
United States Court to Rule
on Act Covering Traffic
in Women.
FINAL ARGUMENTS
BEING HEARD
Attorneys For Disss and Caminetti In
terpret Law az Not Aiming at Mere
immortality Where No commereialism
10 Involvsd-CIaim Such Construction
Would Bring Law into Disreputs =
PugiIist Johnson's Case Recalled.

Washington, Nov. IA. - Final argu-
ments were made today in the supreme
court In the white slave cases involv-
ing the question Of whether the Mann
act applies to vice in which there was
no element of commercialism. The
question Is raised in the Diggs-Caml-
netti case from California.
Following brief concluding state
ment by Assistant Attorney General
wallace for the government. former
Senator Bailey, Of Texas. made the
prlnclpal aIgum~nt for lhe defendants
interpretation Ut tne .aw-tnat 1t does
not Apply III cases Ut mere immoral.
ily."
ITO restrict the law to debauchery In
commerc.a4ism alone is to make idle
the words Of the STATUTE" SAID Mr..
W ailace, referring to the laws prohlDl-
tion against the transportation VI
women for any immoral purposes
Lawyers Disagree.
Congress-, Mr.. Bailey argued, never
cases of mere immortality" Congress
ala not intend TINS punishment for
mere moral lapse ne SAID. Such
construction would bring tne law into
dlsrepute; it is Impossible to enforce
laws whose punishment is regarded
uisproportionate to The offenses"
The law itself has been upheld by
The court, but the question OF inter-
pretation is raised for the first time
in appeals Of +, Drew Caminetti and
Maury I. Diggs, of Sacramento. and
L. T. Hays, of Alva, OKLA, all charged
with transporting women in violation
Of the law, but with the elements OF
commercialism and coercion absent.
The present administla alton Of the
department OF justice has brought
prosecutions in all cases of transpor-
tation of women tor immoral purposes,
whether for commercial purposes or
not.
Argue Laws Intent.
During the hearing Harry Q. Chaser
of counsel for the appellants insisted
that the title OF the white slave act
itself Indicated absence of intent by
congress to have the law applied to
cases Of mere immortality.
Mr.. Glasser asserted that fair In
terpretalion of the act was thatS1t was
intended solely to stamp out organized
or unurgan.zed traffic in women for
immoral purposes by prohibiting their
Interstate transportation.
Citing decisions of the second, sew
enth and ninth federal circuit courts
sustaining the Interpretation given by
the department Of justice, Assistant
Attorney General Wallace argued that
congress had the power to prevent i'm
morality by barring transportation o.
women for immoral purposes and that
the Mann act should be so construed.
Recall johnson Case.
1.-THE extent or degree of immoral
ity should not be factor said MT.
Wallace. THE purpose OF the law was
toHpreyent debauchery Of women
He referred to the case of Jack John
son, the negro pugilist in which the
departments Interpretation had been
sustained, tho admitting that judges OF
lower federal courts had differed re-
gard,ng the laws construction. He
conceded that Diggs, Caminetti ano
Hayes were indicted for offenses with
ont elements of commercialism.