New Britain herald., 1920-02-12
CHARGE THEY WOULD OVERTHROW U. s. GOVT.
Platform of Party Contains
 Declaration That It Would
 Substitute Mass" Rule For Present Democracy.

Albany, N. Y, Feb. 12.-In> brief which summarizes the evidence intro Aduced by the prosecution at the hear \ ing. by the assembly judiciary com 1, mittee regarding the qualifications of the five suspended socialist members. counsel for the committee declared that the men under investigation have disqualified themselves from taking the constitutional oath of office, that they are members of a revolutionary party, and that it is the duty of every member of the assembly to expel them from that body.
 ~ The brief is printed document of sS9 pages in which is quoted portions sof the evidence which, in the opinion of the attorneys, support the various counts against the suspended mem bers
 ."The five, assem blymen.' says the brief, 'by pledging themselves as mem bers of the socialist party not to vote to appropriate money for mili- tary or naval purposes or war" dis glaIif1ed themselves from taking the Constitutional oath of office as assem- Sblymen, and the oath as taken by them was false.
 Refused to Support Defense.
 '"rhe promise of the socialists not to
  priations or for war was as much in conflict with the federal constitution as with the state constitution, and dis qualified them from taking the official oath to support the federal constitu- ton and rendered the oath as taken void
 The five assemblymen by their promise to take directions from the dues@paying members of their locals or their executive committee in all matters arising in the assembly. in ! cluding their vote for all appointees and officials chosen by the legislature; to vote as a unit with all other mem bers of their party on all occasions. and to place their resignations ill the hands of the due-paying members to insure the performance of their Y pledge, abdicated their function as as- eemblymen and disqualified them selves from taking the oath of office.
 Revolutionary Party '',The socialist party is a revolution = ary party, having the single purpose of destroying our institutions and gov ernment, which they abhor, and sub- stituting the Russian-soViet govern ment or the proletariat government instead to be controlled by them selves. This appears from their plat lOIn1S anu P
 The socia. >rty is not a na- tional party. like the democratic par ty or the republican party whose aim Is to conserve and preserve the nation The socialist party is an anti-nationa party whose allegiance is given to the internationale and not to the United States, whose government and insti tutiups it would destroy.
 < Mass action and the genera strike are advocated and urged by the socialist party as a part of the plar to bring about, conditions favorabl to revolution and as instruments O revolution and not to remedy indus trial evils. The revolutionary pur pose and non-poiiticaI character O such acts make them treasonabl, and, whether criminal or not in tn, absence of~such purpose, treasonabl' with it
 Would Overthrow Government.
 '"The five assemblymen stanc squarely with their party for tn overthrow of our government. Thre { of them-Claessens. Solomon ant Waldman-avowed these doctrines a randidates for the assembly. "The five assemblymen by thei 7 pledges and speeches have rendere < themselves amenatle to the terms 0 the espionage act ana Should pc con ' victeu under it's terms.
 z Tt is the supreme duty of the as senbly and it's loyal members wh < have taken an oath to support tn I constitution of the state of New Tor \ and the constitution of the Unite States, to exercise their ample pow N CT to exclude fire m the legislativ 4 body of the greatest state in the unio Ft4 enemies of the state and of the Unit fs ed States to exercise their ampl
 power to exclude from the legislativ
 body of the greatest state in tn snnion enemies of the state and of tn
 United States who would destroy bot
 constitutions and the governments or ganized under them Tolerance c aRdch a presence would involve
 breach of their oath as loyal men an
 asSem blymen."