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 merely 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 man, to whom she is generally required to turn over all of the rest of her earnings, 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. =A national disgrace.=--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 than 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. =Power of the Federal Government to wipe out this awful traffic.=--These figures will give some idea of the enormity of the evil which is involved. Moreover, it will be apparent that the white slave evil is one of a national character and one which cannot be successfully dealt with by local authorities. That it should be suppressed there can be no question, and 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 important powers, which have a direct bearing upon this traffic. (a) By Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution Congress is given power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States.” (b) By the same article and section it is given authority “to establish postoffices and post roads.” (c) By Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution it is provided that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction,” and by Section 2 of the same amendment it is provided that “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”