Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-22
n, Y. LEGISLATURE
GUSTS SOCIALISTS
DESPITE WARNINGS
Party Leaders Plead Men
Have Been Purged of
Former Objections.


Former Objections.
ALBANY. N. Y. September e.
Samuel Orr and samuel De Witt.
socialist assemblymen, who an
n0unced their designations from
the assembly last night after three
Of. their colleagues lad been ex-
PEELED from the lower house OF the
Legislature. may RETURN TO their
seats. 1t was announced today.
Written resignations have not
been fled with the secretary Of
states 0fhce by Orr or De Witt, 1T
became known today. The con-
stituencies of Orr and De witt will
decide what final action they
should take at mass meetings to.
morrow.
By the Associated Press.
ALBANY. N. Y, September e.
Five assembly seats to which So
cialist assemblymen had been elected
at special elections last week. to I'LL
vacancies caused by their own ex-
pulsion last April. when the entire
socialist delegation was denied the
right to sit in the lower house Of
the state legislature, were again va
cant today.
After a f1ve-hour debate, during
which the socialist members were al
lowed to present their personal views,
the assembly last night by a vote Of
80 to As unseated August Claessens
OF Manhattan. leader of the socialist
oeiegation; Louis Waldman Of Man.
NATHAN and Charles Solomon Of Kings,
all Tor the second time.
me assembly, however. reversed
itself on the roll calls to Dust Samuel
Orr and Samuel de Witt Of the Bronx.
who. with Claessens, Waldman and
solomon, were ousted last spring.
the vote on the resolutions calling
for the unseating of Orr and De Witt
showed 81 against and ~ for such
action.
Socialists March Out.
However, Orr and De Witt imme-
diateiy resigned. declaring they could
not sit with such an un American
body" The designations came after
motion to reconsider the vote by
which Waldman had been expelled
was lost. the motion being made by
Assembfyman Martin McCue. demo-
crat. Of New York, who voted for the
removal OF all five men.
AS soon as Orr and De Witt had re.
signed the entire socialist delegation
marched in a body from the chamber.
A Few minutes later the assembly
adjourned.
Seventy-three republican assembly
men and seventeen democratic mem.
bers voted to Dust Waldman, Claes.
sens and Solomon. A switch Of thir.
ty-stx republicans and six democrats
saved Assenblymen De Witt and Orr
from the fate Of their colleagues.
In the debate the FIVE socialists de-
Mt
policy OF force or violence. Assem-
blymen Claessens declared that since
he was ousted last spring the action
OF the assembly had won for him in
ternational recognition.
You are determined on another
CUSTER" he charged. at is only six
weeks to election and we will be back
again, and like the cat with kittens.
Go to it,"
Immediately after the voting had
been completed and three Of the as
semhlymen denied their seats and two
seated Assemblyman McCue made his
motion to reconsider the vote by which
Waldman had been expelled.
am not satisfied with the result, ;"
he declared. Partisan politics has en-.
tered this case now. If there is any
reason why Orr and De Witt should
be allowed to retain their seats there
is just as much why the other three
should stay, too"
With the announcement that the
McCue motion had been defeated AS
semblymen Orr and De Witt resigned
You have passed judgment, ninety
Of you." said Mr.. De Witt. con three
of my comrades. You have found
then unfit to sit with you.
Now. say to ninety of you, I pass
Judgment upon you. refuse to sit
in such an un-American body. I re-
sign"
AssembIyman Orr declared the two
dominant political parties had tried
to make q foot bal Of the socialist
party. and asserted he would not re-
Qutre the assembly to adulterate its
fifty-ffty.''
Il. too, resign" he said.
Applause from all parts Of the
chamber greeted the announcements.
the socialist delegation issued a state
ment which declared the action of the
was "a brazen disreea I'd az
constitutional safeguards Of the liber-
ties OF the people"
Leaders Defend Socialists,
Throughout the day there was I'M
certainty as to what course the as-
sembly would finally take. and even
as the debate progressed it was inn
possible to tell what the vote would
pc. After q statement by Speaker
vh euatiy ucClHIeQ lnat
the socialist party had purged itself
Of the Objectionable clauses Of it's con.
stitutfon which resulted in the er-
of the five men last spring.
severa! OF the assembly leaders during
the debate advanced the same arpu.
ment in favor OF seating the social
lists.
Assemblyman Louis M Martin. re-
publican, chairman Of the judiciary
committee, which conducted the trial
of the socialists. said that the Ave
men were expelled because of GER
tain conditions that existed in their
party at that time. Since then, he
said. the socialist party had elimi-
mated all the grounds upon which the
judiciary committee or q majority of |
it. recommended the expulsion of the
men last spring, but now they are
members of q party that has conn piled
with the law and the Constitution of
the United States.
Minority Leader Donohue called at
to the fact that the counsel
who acted for the judiciary committee
at the trial and who were paid $780,
900 for their services, had declared
that the changes that have taken
place in the socialist party constitu-
ton made 1t legally impossible to ex-
pei the socialists from the extraordi-
nary session.
.They have complied with all the
provisions of the Constitution and II
I'm going to take the opinion of the
who acted for the judiciary
he said. "If you don't seat
these men you will violate the prin-
frIo