nl_e17

Finch, White Slave Traffic, 1912
over to some other trafficker when he finds it to his advantage, and
opportunity arises, to procure a younger or more attractive girl for his
use. Meanwhile the traffickers themselves take practically all of the
earnings of their girl or girls, as the case may be--except that portion
which is appropriated by the madam of the house in which the girl is
located--and spend it for flashy clothes and in gambling and drinking,
they in some cases spending a portion of their time in soliciting trade
for their slaves.
In most of our cities of any considerable size there are numerous
restaurants and other places where these slavers congregate for the
purpose of drinking, smoking and discussing their affairs. With them
the girls are mere chattels, and are lightly spoken of by them as their
"meal tickets" or their "stock," and deals are made between them for
the exchange of girls or for the turning of them over to other traffickers.
As for the girl herself, between the madam, who usually receives one
half her earnings, and the men to whom she is generally required to
turn over all of the rest, and by whom she is also held to a strict
account and is frequently beaten and otherwise abused if her earnings
are not sufficient to satisfy him, the poor girl is indeed in a miserable
plight. No other form of slavery which has ever been devised can equal
her condition.
Hours and days might well be consumed in explaining the facts
and conditions involved by this white slave traffic in the different
sections of the country, but if it has been made clear that there is such
a traffic, that it extends throughout our entire country, and that it
involves conditions which are a disgrace to our nation it would seem
that little else need be said regarding this phase of the matter, unless it
be to add that it is estimated that not less than 25,000 young women
and girls are annually procured for this traffic and that no less that
50,000 men and women are engaged in procuring and living on the
earnings of these women and girls, and that the number of women and
girls engaged in prostitution in this country at the present time is
estimated at not less than 250,000.
The white slave evil is one of a national character, which cannot
be successfully dealt with by local authorities. This leads us to
consider the facts as to the means available for its suppression. By the
Constitution of the United States the Federal Government is given
three i[m]portant powers which have a direct bearing upon this traffic[;]
(a) By Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution Congress is given
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