The Washington herald., 1920-01-08
Represent Interests Inimical
To United States, Speak
er Declares, Denying
Them Right to Sit Whes
Assembly Convenes.
STAND ONLY FOR FOES
OF NATION, HE SAYS
Bill Suspendins Members Is
Adopted by Vote of l40
To 6-Wll Be Given
Chance to Purge Them
selves of Charges.

Albany. y. Y. Jan. by an over
whelming vote. the Assembly today
suspended five Socialist members
elected last fall They are To have the
right TO appeal however. 10 a tri-
bunsl appointed by the Assembly.
The five who were refused seats were:
Samuel A. Dewitt and Samuel on.
OF the Bronx; Charles Solomon. OF
Brooklyn, and Louis waItman ana
August Classcns. Of Manhattan.
Action against the Socialists was
unexpected, although there had been
rumors that something unusual was
to take place at the opening session.
After disposing Of the preliminary
routine. Speaker Sweet directed the
serseant-at-arns TO bring the nve
Socialists before the bar of the Hou.e
and as they lined up before the ros-
trum. said:
iou who are here seeking seats
lave been elected on a platform ab-
soultely inimical to the best interests
Of the State Of New York and the
United States. The party that elected
you Is not really a political party
but a membership organization ad-
hitting aliens. enemy aliens and
minors.''
Quotes From Constitution.
He then quoted from the party cop-
sufution and from the minutes Of so-
ciAlist and coashunist neetin<s ana
conventions AZ wfSch thIs and ether
governments we're attacked and the
Russian Soviet system advocated.
1T is evident. he added. that YOU
are bound in your ofice to follow tho
orders Of aliens whose interests are
Numerically opposed to those OF the
people Of the State OF New York aud
the United States"
He then Informed the five men that
they were to have their day in court
later II they desire to purge them
selves of the accusation Of opposition
TO the interests OF the State and Fed
eral governments.
The resolutions suspending the So
cialists pending investigation By The
judiciary committee was offered by
Majority Leader Adler and was sdopt-
ca by a vote of 10 to 6. Those voting
against it were: J. Fairfax McLaugI.-
lin and William S. Evans. OF The
Bronx. both Democrats, and four Of
the Socialists. solomon who was a
member last year. refused to vote.
Following the announcement Of the
vote the tVe were escorted from the
chamber. This means" said Solo
mon. that the Socialists will have
thirty votes in the next assembly"
Three Served Before.
Clsssens was a member Of the as
sembly in 1915 and 1919 Orr and wald-
man also served in 1919.
A bill making advocacy of sedi;ion
a felony was introduced in the Sen
ate by Senator Julius Miller, Of NeN
York. The measure makes it a crime
to teach. publish or advocate any
theory. doctrine or philosophy which
tends or seeks to effect a change in
300. "I 90 Of government contrary to
constitutional provisions. or seeks Il
nullify or delay enforcement OF any
law"
All five of the suspended men are
members of the regular Socialist
party Of which the Communist and
Communist Labor parties are ofIshoots
having broken away from the old
party because of its rejection of the
principle of direct action.
The Judiciary committee which will
hear the case against the suspended
members. is to be named by Speaker
Sweet next Monday.