The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-01-28
SOCIALISTS
DENY BACKING
SOVIET system
Also Say They Did Not
Pledge Support to L.
A. K. Martens

~ fHr AaaociAfrn raraa
ALBANY. y. y, Jan. 2S.-Deniad
that socialists had pledged support 10
l.. 4. X. Martens. Russian soviet
ambassador" or had indorscd plans
I Tor establishment In America az the
soviet system OF government. was
made tocay by counsel for the de-
I fense at the trial before the assembly
Judiciary committee pf the five sus-
per "a socialist assemhiymon charged
win disloyalty
Seymour s'edman. Of Chicago. re-
newed his motion 70 strife out let
ter introduced yesterday addressed
to Martens. signed "Rebecca Duhay."
and purporting TO be the sentiments
Of the national socialist organization
In the eighth assembly district OF New
York. represented by Assemblyman
Louis waldman. one OF the defcn-
dants
Testimony 10 support the allega-
tion that Ne socialist party required
It's candidates for public office TO
sign a blank resignation before eioc.
tion was given by Mayor George n.
AshNNi NA EANfNfNNAuls
Testimony TO support the allegation
that the socialist party required ita
candidates for public office TO sign a
blank resignation before election was
given by Mayor George H. Lunn, OF
Schenectady.
sigfa Resignation.
Mayer Lunn. who was read out OF
HN. a
formerly was member OF the social
list party and In 1911 was the party's
candidate for mayor. lie received
a call at n o'clock the night before
election from Charles Noonan ana
Russell Hunt, parry leaders In tho
city. who told him that he must sigh
an undated resignation.
Tails aroused my Ire" he said.
but | signed IT,"
After serving two years he was re-
nominated but not elected. He at
tributod his defeat To- the fact that
voters learned he had signed the res
ifuat tion blank and felt he WIS con-
troiled by the socialist local.
Therefore. said Mr.. Lunn. although
he had refused to sign the pledge az
the Time Of HE second nomination, /
he decided In 1915, wncn ne WAS
named Tor the third time. 10 make a
public statement regarding his re-
pudiauon OF that section In the party
ccnstitution. His public statement.
ne tesdfcd. created such a furor that
members Of the socialist state com
mitteo came to schenectady to "try
to patch up the differenses." Mr.
i.unn said affairs reached crisis
when he named a republican as city
engineer.
AR Luun said that charges were
brought against him. that he had
yiolnted the party constitution "and
they disciplined me by firing out tho
whole schenectady contingent, by
withdrawing The locals charter. re-
organizing with only those who would
auppurt tie constitution In fun"
Opposse Custer.
Sic said that he was very much op-
posed TO the present proceeding
against the socialists although his ah-
tagonism to the socialist party Ia very
great.
The socialist party. he declared,
differed from other political parties
In that II asserted the right to dictate
and control the distributic1 OF patron-
age.
The purpose % the signed resigna-
ton prior 60 election was not re-
qured 80 much on account Of patron-
age. he said as for the carrying out
OF platform pledges.
In reply 10 a question from Assem-
blyman Cuvillier, a member of the
judiciary committee, as to whether
he approved the clause In the Barty's
national constitution providing for eX-
pulsion OF members voting appropria-
lions for military or naval purposes.
Lunn said that he did not.
In reply to questions Of defense
counsel Lunn said he knew that
Victor Berger and other socialists IN
"A a D.
tenHnco OF militia, feeling that free
dom should rest on an armed people
but that such action should come
from within the s;ate.'
QUESTIONED he said he knew repre-
sentative Mayer London had voted
against war but aiso had voted for
military and naval appropriations ana
had not been thrown out Of the party.
He added. however, he thought Mr
London would have done better n
he had not felt he had been bound
l by party principles
Criticism Of the action OF the
assembly In Huspcnding the five So
pressed by Mayor Lunn In a state
ment issued after he left the witness
stand.
Not blinded 10 Rights.
My antagOniHm TO tho socialist
party and its un-Amorican tactics"
ne hhiut ENucu not ulind me 70 the
TACT that the proceeding initiated BY
speaker Sweet was not only arbitrary
I but yiOlativo OF The fundamental
principles OF constitutional govern
ment. Faith in our institutions must
not be threatened by allowing even
I Legislators to do violence TO the prln-
Ciplos OF our institutions We must
deal absolutely with genuine enemies
OF this democracy
But IN our eagorneaa 10 nc-
complish this result We should be
I equally determined that the processes
for the expression Of opinion how
ever critical should not be destroyed,
The tyranny Of the many over the
few ia no less banoful than the ~
ranny OF a group over a mass OF men.
Many OF the indictments brought
against our Industrial order by the
socialists are true but their method
for Improvement Is hopelessly mud
died, Il seems Ia me therefore that
agitation against grievances IL best
met by removing the caese OF the
| grievance