New-York tribune., 1918-02-02
Representative Gives De-
tails Of Breaking Up
of Convention
One Leader Deported
He Is Asked to Explain Differ
ence Between Disloyalty
and Democracy
L,Siof Corresnondenccl

w ASttlNNl ON, rep. l.-DetallS OF
the breaking up Of the Socialist con-
vention at MITCHELL S. D., January 90
and the election from the city next day
of William c. Rcmpfcr, one of the
leaders, were related to the House to-
day by Representative London, Social
ist, of New York
Mr.. London read letters from the
general secretary of the Socialist party
and from Mr.. Rempfer, and then de-
manded that Congress take some action
to put stop to interference with such
meetings. He said: "Such acts are
dastardly, the work Of scoundrcls and
can do no good to America"
According to the Rcmpfcr letter,
Mayor Wells OF Mitchell was in Sioux
Falls the day the Socialist convention
opened. attending a meeting of the
South Dakota Council of Defence. That
night he telcphoncd tic Mitchell police
chief to dispersc the convention the
next day.
"a short time after the convention
was adjourned by the authorities" the
letter continued, "news reached me
that the police had ordered me out of
town"
Carried Away in Automobile
"IIalf an hour later, while ! was
walking down the nam street, an auto
mobile dashed up to the curb near me,
five men sprang out, and, laying hands
on me from all sides, they forced me
into the car. l demanded to know by
what authority or under what orders [
was thus treated, but in vain.
"Carefully guarded on all sides and
ordered to keep my mouth shut, | was
driven into the country a distance of
five miles, when the car came to stop.
The ringleader opened the door and or
dered me out, saying:
Ethan is eight miles south. Don't
you attempt to telephone from any
farmhouse. There are men there to
stop YOU. And don't you come back to
Mitchell. That's permanent
"Thereupon these guardians Of de-
mocracy got into the car and returned
to MITCHELL"
Representative London was bitter in
condemning those who piloted Rempfer
out of Mitchell. He said that "Any
group Of ignorant ne .erchants with their
clerks" can break ~p "political conven-
tions," but insisted that that sort Of
thing was not right in a democracy.
Representative Clarence B. Miller, of
Minnesota, who gets on his fighting
clothes every time Mr.. London takes
the floor to defend free Speech" tried
TO interrupt. Mr.. London demurred,
but consented for question.
Asks About Dsloyalty
"The gentleman had better yield, or
hereafter when he asks unanimous
consent to address the House he will
not get it," Miller retorted, and was
told by the Speaker he was out of
order.
When the parliamentary tangle was
lnwound Mr.. Miller asked:
Docs the gentleman recognize any
difference between disloyalty and trca-
son and democracy?'
ooh, why SHOULD the gentleman ask
me whether l recognize the difference
between member of Congress from
Minnesota and mu'e from Missouri %
Mr.. London countcred.
IL do not imagine the gentleman
recognizes there is any difference"
Mr.. London replied by saying there
was no comparison between democracy
and the thing disloyalty and trca-
son-Mr. Miller hal mentioned.
'If the gentleman can tell the diff
ference" Mr.. Miller said, "his intelli-
gencc is greater than I have given him
credit for here tofore."
"Thcre is no comparison between
these things" rctorted Mr.. London
"anA if parliamentary practice would
permit it would call the gentleman :
question by its proper name; but
| E. s.