Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-10
DEBATE over
MORALS BILL
Amendments Alleged to
Have Been Offered to
Defeat Act
RESENT IMPUTATION
Galleries of House of Delegates Clear
ed of Women and Boys When De-
bate Began.

Richmond. Feb. 10.-By vote of
50 to y the anti-red light bill was
passed by the House, Of Delegates yes
terday. All the amendments tending
to iniure the bill were defeated.
Those who voted against the bill
are recorded as follows:
A. S. Adams, of Franklin; Birrell,
Of Alexandria; Cook, of Madison; Ed
wards. of Carroll; Gilpin. of Clarke;
Goodwin, of Allegheny; Gordon, OF
Louisa; Green. of Danville; Leedy, of
Page; Lawry, of Bedford; Phillips
of Floyd and Witten, of Buchanan.
With the gallery cleared of all wo-
men and young boys, the House took
up the nuisance abatement bill (antl-
redlight bilD offered by Delegate
Browning and favorably reported by
the Moral Welfare Committee.
Several immaterial amendments
were suggested and passed to perfect
tho bill. The amendment offered by
rinsav Gordon, of Louisa, was then
read. It makes it felony for any
married person to go to an immoral
resort for improper purposes and tlN-
es Imprisonment at from one to ten
years in the penitentiary.
1t makes it a misdemeanor for an
unmarried person to patronize such a
resort, the penahy beng fronI SloO
to $500 and six months in jail.
In speaking to his amendment Mr.
Gordon declared that the bill was
harsh and unjust in that it would
place the entire burden upon mfor-
tunate women, and give practically
Immunity to the men who make them
what they are.
While Mr.. Gordon was arguing his
amendment Capt. Myers offered his
amendment to regulate womcn's cloth
eS.
Both Mr.. Gordon's and Capt. Myers
amendments were considered as tend
ing to defeat the purposes Of the bill.
This Mr.. Gordon denied.
Capt. Myers objected that his
amendment was not to hurt the bill.
So anxious was he TO improve morals
he said, that he wanted to ofer a
further amendment to break up I'M
moral conduct in jitneys.
Delegate Browning vigorously de-
Tended his bill. He showed that q
similar law is already in effect III a
number of states. He called upon the
House to vote down the Gordon and
Myers amendments.
Col. Leedy, of Page, attacked the
whole bill. He said, it was fostereo
by gentleman of the cloth who
was paid $4,000 year. to go aroune
the country telling people they ough'
to improve their personal conduct.
Delegate Jordan, of Pulaski tooF
Col. Leedy and Mr.. Gordan sharpl!
to task for confusing the issue ant
for quoting "holy things for unhoI!
purposes" He called upon the Hous'
20 consider the facts, He challenged
any member of the House to oppos
the bill in the open, and asked th'
opponents of the measure why the!
did not voice their opposition ant
submit their amendments when tn
matter was under consideration be
fore the Moral Welfare Committee o
the House.
Mr.. Jordan declared that the Cor
don amendment would, if agreed tt
defeat the bill. He called upon tn
Louisa delegate to show his goo
faith by offering an individual bl
under his own name to make adu
terry penitentiary ofense.
Delegate Moss, of Lynchburt
charged that opponents of the bl
had not read the bill to ascertain II
real worth. The bill. he said, wa
not directed against unfortunate w
men, but to rectify condition.
If the bill had been in force
Richmond, he said, a 16 year o
daughter of a Virginian could M
have been met at the Chesapeake an
Ohio station short time ago ar
lursd into taxicab from which ST
s was rescued not minute too soon
Il Hugh l.. White, OF Roclbndgs, su