The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-01-22
DEFENDSSOvIETIN
SOCIALISTS TRIAL
n. Y. Assembly Told It is No
tense to Favor Communism.
MOTIONS TO QUASH LOST
Seymour Stedman Says 1t 10 No
Crime to Approve Of Soviet sys-
tenn,

Seymour Stedman says 1t 10 No
Crime to Approve of Soviet sys-
tenn.
Albany, Jan. GA defense Of So
Wet Russia was made on the floor Of
the New York assembly chamber by
Seymour Stedman, Chicago.
He is an attorney for the five sus-
pended Socialist assemblymen on trial
before the assembly judiciary commit
tee on charges Of disloyalty.
Mr.. Stedman, who represented Eu-
gene V. Debs and Victor L. Berger,
had made a motion the charges be
dismissed because they did not include
cause for dismissal. His argument
had TO deal with assertions the de-
PENDANTS were pledged to carry out
the will of a secret organize ton"
Mr.. Stedman analysed, item by item,
the charges under Investigation. The
first count, he said, alleged the Chi
cago Socialist convention of 1919
adopted resolutions expressing solid
arity with Soviet Russia, and, by ad-
herence to such declarations, the So
cialist party had endorsed the prin-
ciples Of the Communist Information
ale, in session at Moscow. 1t was
pledged to violent overthrow of or
ganized government.
In defense of the contention 1t was
''no crime" to approve the Soviet sys-
tenn, Mr.. Stedman said:
"How do you know the gentlemen
who assume Russia stands for wild
and disorderly anarchy are correct?
People suffering for a half of more
than a thousand years dissolve an
army of twelve millions. To re-eQuip,
in the face of that, an army Of two
million. They fight at seventeen DIFF
ferent points at time on four great
fronts. They develop an educational
system. They start the building Of six
railroads in the midst of /. all, with
four armies attacking them from the
east and west and south. Is that the
Russia you are objecting to?
"You say the schemes Of the Soviet
government were fully known and
their their practices or principles were
revealed. What principles were re-
vealed? What practices in Russia
were revealed?
1--WE are not at war with Russia. 1t
IL true some Of our troops are over
there. 1t is true our associates have
troops there. 1t is rather unfortu-
nate for some of our associates troops.
Russia shot a few ideas into their
regiments and their regiments refused
to work. 1t shows ideas are danger
Gus sometimes, even to militarism, per-
haps more dangerous to that than
anything else"
Feeling toward Russia was undergo
ing change, he said, and to support
this contention he cited news des-
patches to the effect the allied gov
ornaments were preparing to resume
trade relations with Russia. This, he
said, was a commercial recognition of
the Russian economic structure.
Here we exclude a man because
he believes the Russian people have
a right to develop their own political
and economic structures in the same
way" he continued
Mr.. Stedman added expression Of
belief in the Soviet system was not
an Offense in England, Germany, Italy
or Norway, where 1t had become an
issue, and that in this country 1t was
not crime for which man could be
tried and sent to the penitentiary.
An outburst Of applause occurred
when Martin w. Littleton, the COM
mittes counsel, denounced the attitude
Of the Socialists in opposing war.
He predicted, 'not as a threat" that
before this investigation ends this
country will understand this so-called
political party, masQuerading as po-
litical party, is the agent and Cocoon
spirator Of an invisible empire whose
object Is the forcible overthrow of
constitutional liberty in America"
Representatives of every labor and
civic organization in the state will be
asked by The Socialist party to send
two representative to a convention
at Albany, January 81, to protest
against the suspension Of the assem-
Dlymen.