Chicago Tribune
WHITE SLAVE LAW PASSES IN
HOUSE
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Bennet-Sabath Measure Is Intended to Whip Out Evils of Pandering
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MANN STRIKES A BLOW.
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Chicago Congressman Tries to Block Measure, but Is Unable to Do So.
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Washington D. C., Jan. 12 — Drastic action looking toward the suppression of the "white slave" traffic in the United States was taken today by the house.
The Bennet-Sabath bill was passed, under which, if adopted by the senate, it will be unlawful for any person to provide transportation from one state to another for any person who engages in prostitution of other immoral practices.
The mere purchase of a ticket for a woman whereby she whould be "enabled or assisted" to go from state to state for immoral purposes will render the purchaser liable to ten years’ imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. Immoral alien women are to be deported whenever they are discovered, and their procurers are to be excluded, deported and punished.
Mann Motion Is Lost.
"It is intended that this measure shall be drastic." declared Representative Bennet of New York, in charge of the measure and coauthor of it. "This infamous ‘white slave’ traffic must be broken up, and the immigration committee believes the pending measure will survive every constitutional test to which it may be subjected."
Chairman Mann of the committee on interstate and foreign commerce, who stated yesterday that he was not opposed to the bill, sprang a surprise upon its defenders by moving to recommit the measure. The motion was lost by a vote of 36 to 174.
Whatever opposition there was to certain section of the pending bill, few members seemed anxious to have themselves placed on record as voting against it, and only an oral vote was taken on its final passage.
More than a dozen members availed themselves of the opportunity to denounce the "white slave" traffic while the measure was in debate.
