secure. At most he is
only subject to a six months penalty as a common vagrant, but
practically speaking he can never be arrested at all because the only
valid evidence against him must come from the woman who supports him,
who neither desires nor dares to protest against him. There are
thousands of these men in New York City and their convictions do not
reach a score a year. To this might be added that no local authority
ever got these men and that the only successful prosecution of them and
the only one they feared, has been that started by the federal
authorities in Chicago and New York during the past two years. The local
politician has as yet no influence with federal courts in favor of
prostitution. He delivers no important part of the votes that choose the
federal authorities."

General Bingham in an article in Hampton's Magazine for September, 1909,
says that he might have accepted bribes during his first year in office,
from gamblers, dive keepers and other criminals, amounting to $600,000
or even a million dollars. He thinks that the graft and blackmail of New
York City amount perhaps to a hundred million dollars a year. He asks
the question, Who receives the graft? and answers: "Patrolmen, police
captains and inspectors, employees in city offices, city officials,
politicians, high and low share in it. But while the uniformed policeman
is getting tens or hundreds of dollars for 'protecting' a brothel,
drinking or gambling resort, the city officials and politicians are
getting their thousands and hundreds of thousands through
graft-yielding contracts and franchises, in cash carefully conveyed, or
in other emoluments rendered them in every case for betraying the
public."

In the report of the Commission of Immigration of the State of New York,
a commission created by the legislature of New York in 1908, the
following statement is to be found regarding the white slave business in
this State:

"In the State of New York, as in other states and countries of the
world, there are organized, ramified and well-equipped associations to
secure girls for the purpose of prostitution. The recruiting of such
girls in this country is largely among those who are poor, ignorant or
friendless. The attention of the Commission has been called to one
organization incorporated under the laws of New York State as a mutual
benefit society, with alleged purpose, 'To promote the sentiment of
regard and friendship among the members a