New-York tribune., 1920-01-29
Assembly Leaders Move
To Reseat Five Socialists:
Roosevelt to Head Fight
p Churcllnlen
Make Appeal
For Radicals
Men of Various Protestant
Denominations Denounce
System of Exilins Reds;
Protest Albany Custer

Twenty two dlvlnes of various de-
nominations, including several bishops
and other church dignitares of ma
tlonal note, issued written protest
yesterday against the "deportation of
men without judicial trial, repressive
legislation before Congress and the
ousting of the Socialist members of
the New York Legislature.'
The protest was framed at q con-
ference to which the clergymen had
been called several days ago by the
commission on church and social
service Of the Federal Council of
Churches in America The statement
reads:
I'VE. the undersi gned ministers Of
the Church Of Christ, believing that
the political institutions of our coun-
try commend themselves to the reason
and conscience of mankind sufficiently
to stand the test of such freedom of
speech as has hitherto, in time of
peace, been accorded by our govern
mcnt TO the aliens who have come TO
US for asylum, as we'll as to our citi-
zens, are moved to make an appeal to
the people Of the churches of America
on account of certain measures. incon-
siderately undertaken, which threaten
the basic principles OF our government.
Three Issues Up
eve have in mind in particular the
deportation OF men without judicial
trial, the proposed repressIve legis1a-
ton now before Congress, threatening
the primary rights of free speech, free
press and peaceablo assembly; the
suspension OF Socialists bv the New
York State Assembly, and other ev-
dences Of an excited mood on the part
OF many of our people.
I'VE long have been saving that con.
stitutional changes can be effected with
out violence in America because of our
right to free expression of opinion by
voice and ballot We cannot now deny
this American substitute for violence
without directly encouraging resort to
revolution.
in the conviction, therefore, that
our American institutions will survive
because they have the willing allie
gience of the ma jority of our citizens,
we urge the people of the churches of
return to that old faith in the funda-
mental principles of oX civil liberty"
List of the Hgners
The statement was signed by the fol
lowing:
George Alexander, senior pastor,
First Presbyterian Church: Charles II.
Brent, Episcopal Bishop of Western
New York; Benjamin Brewster, Episco-
pal Bishop of Maine; Chauncey B.
Brewster Episcopal Bishop of Connecti-
cut.
Arthur j. Brown, corresponding sec
| retary, Board of Foreign Missions,
Presbyterian Church; William Adams
Brown, professor. Union Theological
Seminary; Henry Sloane Coffin, pastor,
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church;
Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor, First
Presb sbyterian Church; Charles E. JET
terson, pastor, Broadway Tabernacle.
William Lawrence, Episcopal Bishop
Of Massachusetts,; Frederick Lynch,
editor "Christian Work.; Charles S.
Mcfarland, general secretary Federal
Council Of Churches of Christ in
America; John A. Marquis, general sec
retary Board of Home Missions. Pres
byteran Church; Francis Mcdowell, de =
partment head social service depart
ment, New Era Movement, Presbyterian
Church.
Arthur c. McGritfith, president of
Union heolOGlcal seminary, llliam
Pierson Merrill, pastor of the Brick
Presbyterian Church; Frank Mason
North, president of the Federal Coun-
Gil Of Churches. secretary Of the Board
Of Foreign Missions. Methodist Epis-
copal Church; Charles Lewis Slatterv
rector of Grace Church; William
Austin Smith, editor of The Church
man; Ethelbert Talbot Bishop of
Bethlehem; Worth NJ. Tippy, executive
secretary Commission on the Church
and Social Service.
Statements emanating from Wash
ington to the effect that numerous
''arks" would be needed to take the
1000 of the $500 aliens recently cor
rallied back TO Russia were secuted By
officials at Ellis island 1t was stated
that there were altogether only 59l
radicals at the island OF these 253
are out on bail. OF the remaining 33s
cases. only sixty-three have been
marked CLOSED"