South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-05-04
SOCIALIST PARTY
PREPARES TO PUT
DEBS ON TICKET
National Convention Will be
Held i'm New York
This Week. -

NEW YORK, May THE social
ist party Of America viii open the
first national political convention OF
1920 when 200 delegates from vari-
Gus sections OF the county assemble
here next Saturday. May s. They
Will continue their deliberations for
a week. According TO party officers
nomination Of candidates for presi-
dent and vice D. yzident OF the
United states and construction Of a
platform will be the chief business
before the delegates.
Socialists attach particular i'm
pOrtance % this years convention,
because OF attacks made on the
party's attitude during the war and
during the investigation in Albany
which led TO expulsion OF the entire
socialist delegation Of FIVE from the
New York assembly. Unseating by
the house OF Representative Victor
l. Berger OF Wisconsin, convicted
of violating the espionage act, also
IS likely 10 come up for discussion.
Debates Scheduled.
Representative socialists also de-
clare that rights OF free speech, free
press and free assemblage, which
party officials assert have been en-
dangered by sag legislation" pass
ed during the war. are certain TO
lreceive attention. The ethics of ap-
lDlicatiOn now OF war measures de-
signed 20 prevent strikes also is
scheduled for debate.
A committee OF which Morris Hill
quit. once candidate for the New
York mayOralty is chairman, is now
at work drafting recommendations
for the party platform. Adoption
+ sFF nj "a r.F
prime Importance this year. because
of efforts BY federal officials 70 ally
the party with its left wing'-in-
dustrial workers Of the World, COM
munists, bolshevists and other ele-
ments-which its leaders assert has
been dropped during the past year
OF so.
Platform Discussed.
10 is believed that the platform
may make clear the party's attitude
not only toward these "eX-com-
rades" but toward the present Rus
sian government. During the social
list trial at Albany. party leaders
made 1t plain that while they held
q sympathetic feeling for soviet
Russia, because il presented a field
for a great social experiment, they
did not consider themselves allied
with the communist party, from
whose philosophy they said they
differed
According to present plans, the
party viii nominate only two candi-
dates for national office. Eugene V.
Debs, now serving a term in Atlanta
penitentiary for violation of the
espionage act. has been repeatedly
advocated for the presidency by
prominent party leaders. At the So
cialist investigation of Albany. these
leaders on the stand raised the cry
from prison 10 white house" assert
ed that Debs had been convicted for
word and not deed during the war
and compared him to Jesus of Naz-
areth.
200 Delegates Chosen.
The convention will be limited to
200 delegates IL has been announced,
appOrtioned to the various states in
conformity with their socialist mem
bership. Each state will have at
least one delegate. New York, with
p delegates, ia said TO be the largest
delegation. Pennsylvania with p Is
said TO be second.
otto Branstetter of Chicago, ma
tiOnal secretary, will call the dele
gates 10 order in the auditorium of
the Finnish Workers Educational
association. Leading socialists from
Atlantic TO Pacific will be present,
including Mr.. Hillquit who is now
at Saranac Lake; Seymour Stedman,
Chicago lawyer who has defended
many prominent socialists caught
in the mesh OF war legislation; Vic
tor IA Berger, of Milwaukee, and
Mayor HOan of the same city.
While most Of the sessions will
be held in the Finnish hall. Madison
Square Garden will be the scene OF
a mass meeting Sunday afternoon,
May g, where Mr.. Hillquit. Mr.. Sted-
man and Mayor Hoan are scheduled
10 speak A dinner TO convention
delegates will be held Monday night
at which speeches of campaign sig
nifiCance are expected to be made.
The keynote address will be deliv-
cred by the permanent chairman.
His selection viii be the first bust
ness before the delegates and ac-
ICording to party officers, whoever he
may be. he viii speak uninstructed
and without prepared recommended