New-York tribune., 1918-06-24
Ellenbogen Declares Radi.
Gals Assembly Record Is
"At Least Unpatriotic"
Critics Scope Narrow
Thinks 1t Strange Organiza.
tion Is So lntolerant of Re-
publicans and Democrats

The Citizens Union is severely crit
icsed for its favorable comment on the
records of the ten Socialist members
of the Assembly in letter sent yes
terday by Assemblyman Abram Ellen
bogen to Walter T. Arndt, secretary of
the Union. Assemblyman Ellcnbogen
is the Republican member from the
new Seventh Assembly District, and
received unstinted praise in the report
of the Citizens Union.
The .Asscmblyman objects, as an
American citizen, to the favorable re-
port on the records of the Socialists,
whose action as Legislators was "un-
patriotic to say the least" he says
He also defends the records Of other
Legislators whom the Union criticised.
His letter follows:
"While l am thankful to the Citizens
Union for its most favorable comments
on my record in the Assembly, AS an
American citizen. and especially at this
time in our nations history, ! regret
that the Citizens Union should have
found it necessary to go out of its way
to praise cxtravagantly the alleged
achievements of the ten Socialist mem
bers Of the Assembly.
Chiefly Obstructionists
"If these men had accomplished any
thing real there might be some excuse
AS matter of fact their energies were
mainly directed in opposing measures
which were necessary to aid the Fed
cral government in the successful
prosecution of the war. Their opposi-
tion to such legislation was distinctly
unpatriotic to say the least.
"Some of the measures which they
sponsored were a denial Of national
ism and were totally destructive of our
existing institutions. The following
examples will suffice: Resolution to
Congress against the war; bills to
abolish reserve state militia; to abol-
ish state police; to establish public
school peace propaganda to deprive the
courts of power to declare statutes un-
constitutional. Even from the stand
point of city betterment, which the
Citizens Union has apparently assumed
to be it's function, the wildcat, social
istic schemes proposed by these radi-
calls would have hopelessly impaired
the credit of the city of New York,
already pe~ilously near the verge of
bankruptcy.
q.
has needlessly narrowed its scope of
real service which it could render to
the people. 1t seems to forget that it's
transcendent duty is first to the nation
and to the state, and it entirely mega
tives the thought of the duty of leg
islator to serve the nation and the state
first.
Charges Negligence
"Impelled by desire to DISCOURAGE
and destroy the cancerous growth of
Socialism, root and branch, l feel it
my obligation to criticise the Citizens
Union for it's seeming negligence in
failing to call the attention of the pub
lie to the unpatriotic activities of these
men, whose highest ideals lead to a
contempt for organized government
and whose every act has tended to dis
courage the gigantic tasks Of America
throughout the world.
The reference of the Citizens Union
to a 'do-nothing session is captious
and misleading. The Governor in his
message to the Legislature clearly in
dicated that it was the duty of the Leg
islature this year merely to pass emer-
gency measures to meet the wars ne
cessities and then to adjourn as speed
lily as possible. This Recommendation
followed by an early adjournment, was
universally praised and it's achieve
ments caused it to be right referred to
as great war Legislature
| at is strange that the Citizens Union
should be so tolerant Of views which
differ from theirs when they happen to
be socialistic and so intolerant Of Re-
publicans and Democrats who cannot
agree with them upon certain prin-
ciples of government.
Cites Unions Duties
s'The function of the Citizens Union
should be to observe legislators from
the standpoint of their rectitude and
the diligence and the intelligence with
which they perform their tasks. They
should regard the representative from
the standpoint Of his capacity for
government and his conception of
large, statewide propositions. These
men should be praised or condemned
quite irrespective Of the individual
viewpoint Of the Citizens Union.
81 resent the Citizens Unions char
|acterization Of such men as Senator
Ottinger and >Assemblyman Tuckerman
rs reactionary. I am especially famil-
lar with their splendid records. In
his first term Senator Ottinger caused
thirty laws to be enacted, many of
which were both constructive and radi-
cal. If these men are reactionaries be-
cause of their horror of Socialism and
of their brilliant fight against such fan
tastic propositions as municipal own
ership and the minimum wage, more
power to them"
|