The Connecticut labor press., 1920-01-17
EXPULSION OF
SOCIALISTS IS
INDEFENSIBLE
Action of New York State Assem-
bly, an Invasion of Right
of Franchise.
WRONG In PRINCIPLE
A Censorship to Which American
Democracy Cannot Resort
With Safety or Justice.
(By Chester NJ. Wright. }

When the New York State Assembly
threw out the five socialist members al
outrage wasN committed which SAVIOR
more of the imam hunt than anythin.
that had gone before
This action of the assembly of New
York State is too much of good thing
1t is inexcusab1e, blundering idiocy.
Speaker Sweet called the five social
lists UP before him, lined them I'D anc
said, in effect You're guilty; get out 7
There wasn't much more forma1it,
to II than that Immediately it was pro
posed that law be enacted to throw OIL
all elected socialist officials in the state
lhe idea was to make clean sweep.
What one may think of the socialis
philosophy has nothing to do with thi:
case. However contemplate one ma,
hold the socialist party's war position te
have been has nothing to do with the
case.
Exercising their right to franchise
several thousands of voters have elected
these socialists to office. These social.
lists have not been convicted of an,
crimes. Their records as citizens are
clear. Nor is anything said or charged
against their personal conduct.
But they have been thrown out. They
AAOl AA@lCiy SuSpCIIu0d IIO1n Cle
privilege of occupying their seats and
voting; they were thrown out of the
assembly, out of their ofices-out
There'11 be trial to see whether thew
get back.
1t is said that these socialists are
members of political party whose aims
are "1n1micar to the interests of the
state.
1t is evident that several thousands of
voters thought the aims of the party
were not inimical to the inerests of the
state. They have some rights in the
matter.
These socialists desire to change the
form of our government. They desire
to alter the whole structure of our social
order. | don't agree with them. They
don't agree with me. If they ever get
majority in the state assembly, or arly-
where else, / don't want them to throw
out the men who represent my convic-
tions
I've been in places where socialists
elected majority of the governing
officials. The minority was not thrown
out. What a howl there would have
been 1t the minority had been thrown
out.
Democracy is safeguarded by pro-
tect1ng the rights OF the minority. Out
of minorities comes progress. Look out
for this blunderbuss kind of conduct to-
ward people you don't agree with.
The assembly has the power to throw
out any member for any cause or for no
cause. 1t could unseat all ba1d-headed
members. But sometimes it is better
and wiser not to use all the rights you
have. Policemen carry guns, but if
they went around shooting promiscu-
ously we'd soon do something about it. :.
The action of the New York assembly
was wrong totally, completely and abb
solutely wrong. 1t constituted a censor
ship of ideas and beliefs to which Amer
ican democracy cannot resort with safe
ty or with justice. We don't care SO
much about the safety part of it as we
do about the justice part of it. Some
how justice is good thing to give the
other fellow. You never can tell when
you'll want some yourself.
Ii there is any common sense, or any
common decency in the New York State
Assembly it will get busy quickly to
undo this thing. 1t was not even JUS
tifable homicide; it was first degree
murder of the rights of those unseated
members