Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-04-17

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fiat Of an arbitrary Speaker easily
becomes law.
That Is what happened at Albany
and by the irony OF fate Mr.. Sweets
programme WAS contaminated OH
All Fools Day.
This is drastic language but the
New York World, one of tho most In
fIuential Journals In the United
States Is responsible for the use OF
IT. 1t continues:
The Constitution OF tho United
States guarantees to every State "a
republican form OF government"
That form OF cover nment has ceasaa
for she time being TO exist In Few
York. There can be- no. republican
form of government whom minority
parties are arbitrarily outlawed. when
!; representation is denied, when legal
! ~ elected and legally qualified mem
beIB of the, Lagislatpre arc expelled
because their political principles are
Offensive to the majority, when whole
, constituencies are arbitrary aisfran-
chised because they refuse to vote the
way somebody alse thinks they ought
to vote.
, The Constitution of the United
States does guarantee to every SKATE
n Republican form of government,
but this guarantee has beep nullif-
cd in practically every southern
State for more than a decade. This
nation could not exist one half slave
ard the other half FREQ and 1t can
!, OF exist one half diafranehised and
the other half enfranchised. In the
|. nsuage OF the Now York World
"That form Of government haB Seassd
Or the time being to exist In" other
States than New York. There can DO
no Republican form Of government
in any State, North or South WHOM
minority parties are arbitrarily out
inwed, when representation is denied
Colored people and white people
have been the victims Of just this
kind OF treatment.
It occurred in the southern States
on yesterday 1t Is occurring Ill
northern ones today" What are
you going to do about it? The New
York World says further:
This is the negation Of republican
government in effect 1t sets up the
principle that minorfties have no
rights that majorities are bound TO
respect, that all constitutional seme
die, are denied to them and that they
mist resort to violence for the pro
motion of their political bel1ets ana
scr the redress Of their grievances
Even the Kaiser never went IA Tar
Az Sweet has gone. Bven the Prds'
sian Junkers were never able 10
throw the German Socialists out OF
the Reichsta0.
The action OF the Assembly makes
tho re-establivhment Of representa-
tive government the vital concern OF
every man and woman In New YORK
who believes in American 1nstltu'
tons and is determined to main
tain them. Under the law there will
be no special elections to which the
expelled Asemblymen can appeal,
but there will be a general election
in the fall, and 80 far as The World
Is concerned 1t intends to support
these AsscRblymeh for reelection.
During all the years OF it's existence
this newspaper has been uncompro
E;singly opposed to Socialism both
IN theory and in practice; it remains
uncompromisingly opposed to Social
ian both in theory and in practice;
but the political ana economic beliefs
OF these five men have now become
OF no Importance in relation to the
vital issue that is raised by their ex
pulSion.
II the people Of New York are &c
retain their free iastitW ions, if they
ale not to be Russianized by their
stupid politicians, their first con
, o.rn must be the restoration Of re
preventative government which was
overthrow yesterday in Albany br
the Assembly.
This is ringing call to duty. Pho