The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-14

ing at which this was done a special
meeting had been held when the Nc
Levy faction tried to have Benz. J.
Legere expelled from the party be-
him and Ernest Berger. The state
ment follows,
Sometime after it had been done
Comrade Henry j. Horsef1eld gave
Comrade Legere the following infor-
nation which shows that the illegal
abrOgation Of the constitution which
is the immediate cause Of the split in
in ignorance of the constitutional pro-
vision. but a deliberate, premeditated
action in which at least three men,
bers conspired. On Thursday, April
18th, 1911, a month after it happened,
Comrade Horsefleld, who while pro-
Tossing to be neutral has really lined
up with the secessionists, met Com
rade Legere on Main Street. Dis
cussing the matter he said he knew
the other side had done wrong but
as he wasn't at the meeting when
they did 1t he was not going to in
terfere. He then related how on SUM-
day, March 18th. in the local head
quarters, he was present when Jas
per McLevy, Fred Cederholm and
Ernest Berger were discussing the
attempt to suppress Legere. Part of
the conversation he quoted about as
follows. One of them said, well he
(meaning Legere) got out of it that
time on account Of the constitution
Another said, "Well what are we go.
ing to do about it?" Then Cederholm
said. ''Well, the only thing we got
meeting so the majority will rule and
then we can throw him out ANYWAY.
Horsefield said he then interposed and
told Cederholm that they couldn't do
a thing like that and advised them
to drop the matter.
Tuesday, March IA, 1911, at the
meeting of the Local there were be-
tween 30 and 40 members present The
machinists and. others who supported
McLevy, Cederholm and Berger were
there while there were but half
dozen or so of Legere's supporters
present. 1t is known that many Of
those absent staid away because they
were disguised at the action of the
special meeting. Legere was not
Cederholm rose and moved that the
former action of the Local in adopt
ing the constitution be rescinded. A
member named Fitzgerald seconded
the motion McLevy in the chair en-
tertained it. Comrades Secor and
Matilda Rabinowitz rose to object to
the action but McLevy ruled them
Immediately without discussion and
carried.
Comrade Secor then asked the chair
if they were operating without a con-
stitution and McLevy answered that
they were and that a majority vote
would decide all questions. To fur
Their substantiate our contention that
this illegal abrogation of the consti-
tuition was the result of a conspiracy
to be revenged upon Legere that it
was deliberate and premeditated, that
the motives for the action were dis
honest and that the action was there
fore not only legally wrong but NOR
ally wrong as well, it is important to
note the following facts: In March
adopted, Jasper McLevy made the
suggestion to the committee that thew
put in the constitution a clause which
would make it hard to be changed
and the clause requiring a two-thirds
vote and three readings before being
voted upon (Article 16, Sec u was
drawn up by Ernest Berger and B.
j. Legere who were on the commit
tee. 1t should be noted also that Fred
Cederholm who moved for it's lille
gal abrogatiOn was on the revision
committee with Comrades Secor and
Legere and at that time was thor
oughly in accord with the clauses
requiring two-thirds vote. David
M. Lackie who voted to abolish the
constitution was also on this com
mittee and approved these clauses.
It should also be noted that several
different and conflicting reasons have
since been given for this action of il
legal abrogation which we claim was
an act of secession and that by it
all those who voted for it virtually
left the Socialist Party and by later
adopting another constitution set up
an organization of their own claim
ing affilia ton with the Socialist Par
ty of America which cannot possibly
legally recognize them. (Since the
State Committee meeting Jasper Nc
Levy has made the statement that
95 percent of those who voted with
him and his friends. knew they were
wrong when they did it. This state
ment stands as the most brazen in
suit to the Socialist ideal of Demo-
crazy yet recorded)"
The present status OF the contro-
versy is simply this. We of Old Lo-
cal Bridgeport contend that the Nc
Levy faction bears the name of the
Socialist Party by virtue of deci-
sion made by the State COMMITTEE in
ignorance Of the facts and the only
way in which a settlement can be
effected is by that faction recognize
ing their error and returning to their
which we are oree rized
AUDUBON j. SECOR
100 Black Rock Avenue.