New-York tribune., 1920-01-09
FiUe Socialists Attribute
Suspensions to- Lush Board
Feared an Investigation of Its Affairs by Assembly
and So Brought About Custer, They Assert,
Declaring Committee Raids Unlawful

Senator Clayton Lusk's recent secret
and hurried visit to England" said
Charles Solomon, of the 23d Assembly
District, Brooklyn, one of the sus-
pended Assemblymen. "Mr. Lusk
never gave any clear explanation Of
why he went to England, except to
say that it was on personal business.
Let the Lusk committee deny the
charges conveyed in our questions
We are prepared to furnish proof.
They are aware that we are In pos
session of certain facts. That's Why
they wanted us suspended"
Mr.: Stevenson, special counsel for
the Lusk Committee. said last night:
These questions are too absurd to
call for any statement by the COM
mittee." Senator Lusk had gone to
his home at Cortlandt, N. Y.
No Action by Board
Socialist members of the Board Of
Aldermen will continue to hold their
seats SO long as they do not Commit
some overt act warranting action" F..
Fl. La Guardia, president of the board,
said yesterday that he would oppose
any measure to oust the Socialists as
was done in the case of the five AS
semblymen.
iAiuC1Audu w lllldIu Il V[ulNu, Mann4L-
tan, Republican, earlier in the day said
he contemplated introducing at the
board meeting next Tuesday a resolu-
tion disqualifying the four Socialist
members, but, after he had consulted
with Mr.. La Guardia, he said he had
changed his mind.
II am opposed to having any Social
lists sit in the board for the same rea-
son that the Assembly opposed them,
namely, that they are unfit to serve q
government which they favor over
throwing" said Mr.. Quinn. II heard
that Mayor Hylan is opposed to the
opinion, is good reason for its TAX
ing the action"
Mr.. La Guardia said as President Of
of the board he would enforce the
rules impartially.
$50 far as I am concerned" he said,
"there will be no action against the
Socialist Aldermen unless they COM
nit some overt act warranting action.
Let them send down as many members
! to the Board of Aldermen as they
legally can. I will enforce the rules Of
the. board. which will hold against
Socialists as we'll as against repre-
sentatives elected by any other party.
II believe it was q mistake for the
Assembly to exclude the Socialist men,
bers from their seats without first
specifically setting forth charges and
giving them a chance to answer. We
have been saying to wrong headed
people that they must not advocate
force for the correction Of govern
mental abuses-that the remedy was,
and is. the ballot.
"Let us stand by that as funda-
mental thing, else we may find our
| al In
Socialists, political organization, COM
plying with the election laws, elected
five Assemblymen. Summarily to ex-
clude them is playing into the hands
of the Bolsheviki, who justify their
lawlessness by asserting that the ballot
is not adequate to correct abuses. The
best way to answer is not by speeches,
not by the suppression Of speech, but
by the conduct Of men in public Of
fee.
"Lct us who are in office so con-
duct the affairs of the government so
as to remove all grounds Of criticism.
Our Constitution is all right Our form
Of government is all right. Some of
the men who govern are not all right
We all agree that there Is no place
in this country for the Bolsheviki, but
we can continue deporting anarchists
as we have been doing since 1907 with
out so much brass band and spotlight
"Americanism is not an issue. Amer
icanism is we'll rooted in the hearts of
Americans, and politicians cannot make
it an issue. We must not permit any,
thing to bccloud the issue-that of
incapacity and waste of public funds
| by the Democrats when we were at
war, or the desire Of the few to keep
the Republican platform from being
constructively progressive"
Mayor Hylan's sentiments on the
ousting Of the Assemblymen were ex-
pressed in a statement issued, which
sad
~ regret that such hasty action was
taken in excluding the Socialist men,
bers Of the Legislature. These mem
bers were elected by the vote of the
people and should be extended every
possible consideration that the duly
elected members of the other political
parties are given.
"lf after charges were preferred, an
! investigation made, and fair hearing
held, it was then found that they were
guilty Of any act or in any way ac-
lively connected with any organization
whose purpose Is to destroy the gov
ernment, then the action of tho Leris-
lature would be upheld by the state
and nation"
Comptroller Charles l.. Craig said:
~ admire the nerve of Speaker Sweet
end tho Assembly,. More power to
them!"