The New York herald., 1920-01-19


Manhattan, speaking before several hun
dred members Of the Grace Methodist
Episcopal Church, 1o4th street near Column
bus avenue, last night. lon Suspension of
the Five Socialist Assemblymen at AL
hany," severely arraigned Speaker T. c..
Sweet and the Assembly in general. He
was loudly applauded.
THE action of the embly" said AS
somblynan Amos, was a desecratio Of
the ballot box and an invitation to for
eisners in our midst and to disorderly i'm
e4ined Americans to disregard the purposes
Of the ballot box and look upon it as an
Intellectual means of accomplishing their
objects
The Socialists in the Socialist district
went to the polls on election day and voted
Tor their Socialist candidates. Measured
by a performance of the duties of citizens
they were far better citizens than the So
called eminent prominent and influential
beings on the fashionable thoroughfares
and boulevards of the city who would not
Inconvenience themselves to either reg
ister or vote. What we need is more action
and less pacifist patriotism.
Regarding Practical Politics.
II am not a Socialist and did not sub
scribe to a Socialist programme. did
subscribe to an oath of office. Under this
cath I am bound to support the United
States and the State of New York. 1t
would be more convenient for me to play
practical politics and let matters drift and
not incur the possible enmity of the leader
OF the Assembly in what / consider to be
unlawful and a fagrant violation Of the
constitution of the State. | stand with
the intelligent, patriotic and warm blooded
American citizens who oppose this act as
un-American. Such groups of citizens
who arc TO be found in the State and city
Ear Association City Club. Citizens
Union and women's clubs. groups of min
listers of all denomina ations and that long
list of individuals tno during the war
were sishtins on the firing line abroad
and on the producing line at home.
Il consider Speaker Sweet one hundred
per cent American. He is simply the vic
tim of bad advisers and practical poll
ticians VINO fail to grasp the spirituality
OF the action they proposed to the Speaker
When you touch things OF the spirit you
awaken the people. and in this instance
the very spirit of our constitution has
been touched in an unholy manner. I
trust that Speaker Sweet may yet. before
II In too late. measure the glorious oppor-
,unity he has of setting himself right be-
fore the people OF the state and the nation
at large.
The action Of the Assembly from the
I; beginning to end has been q very grave
and great mistake.
Il shall be true to my conception of
Americanship and shall fight for the re-
instatement Of the Socialist Assemblymen
a every opportunity"
Assemblyman Amos was applauded when
he told the church people that he was 60
ing back and would fight to the finish
'T am against the Speaker" he declared,
and that's what you people sent me there
for. / have been on two or three COM
mittees. but what does that amount TO
when you figure that New York city only
has two chairmanships out Of thirty-four
committees, while at the same time paying
big portion OF the States taxes
Raid mt Club House.
Two men, believed to have. been search
ing for evidence, made raid on the
Socialist club house in the Seventeenth
Assembly District at No. 80 Cast 10th
street on Saturday afternoon. it was
learned yesterday. Children saw them
leaving the club house. their arms filled
with papers. The c1up house is known
as Claessens Club. One of the suspended
Socialist Assemblymen, August Claessena,
represents the Seventeenth District, and
made the club house his headquarters. 1t
was thoroughly ransacked by the men,
who broke open desks and cabinets. The
v,naH hnx
was not learned whether anything had
been removed from it.
Jonn DAILY, who takes care of the fur
mace i'm the building, said last night that
the raid took place about four o'clock
saturday afternoon. while he was out or
the building. When he returned he said
he found the other doors open but the
door leading TO the basement from the
first floor had been jimmied open and
badly battered. In the office. which is
in the basement, he found that roll top
desk had been broken open. he said. and
papers scattered around the room. Sew
eral smaller desks and cabinets which
contained papers had also been rifled
and their contents strewn about.
According to DAILY. the police of tho East
yo4tn street station told him that they have
r~oetved no report of material losses. and
so lar as he knew they had made no in
ve-.iration Karle Gottfricd. secretary Of
$the SOCIALIST organization in the Seven
teenth Assembly District. could not he
found at his home last night. August
,t.iacssens, tho Socialist leader in the dis
rrict was in Philadelphia. No report OF
the alleged raid was made To the offices
of the county Socialist headquarters at
No East Fifteenth street. the secretary,
Julius Gerber said last night.
Go 70 Albany To-day.
Morris Hillout. chief counsel for the
Socialists. will 90 to Albany this after
noon, and tonight tho attorneys for the
ousted Assemblvmen will have their last
confereuce before the trial begins
= Charles solomon. one OF the suspended
: Socialists also returns 10 Albany today.
and the four others will leave the city to-
night for Albany.
Mr. Hfllquit gave out 2 statement in
which he indicated in a general way what
the defence would be. He said
From statements OF Mr.. Newton ap-
pcaring in the papers IL seems they are
preparing 10 bring everything under the
sun into this trial or invcstiga ton. the
evident object being twofod one-frst
10 drag out the proceedings so long that
public interest will lag. and. second to
hcfog the issue with such dense cloud
of absolutely irrelevant matter that the
real simple and vital issue In the case
would he lost sight OF. From the fact