The New York herald., 1920-01-14
FIND OUT If SOCIALISTS ARE
BOLSHEVISTS, SAYS K. M. EASLEY
Chairman of Civic Federation Executive Committee Suggests
That Assembly go to Bottom in Investigating
Beliefs of Five Suspended Members.

That the Assembly in its Investigation
Of the beliefs OF the five Socialist men,
bers whom it is trying to eject should
determine whether the Socialism of Marx
and Engels, to which the five adhere, is
identical with the Bolshevsm of Lenine
and TrotZky is the suggestion of Ralph
NJ Easley, chairman of the Executive
Committee of the National Civic Fedora
ton. In a statement to the HERALD Mr.
Easley expresses the belief that Bolshe-
vism and American Socialism are identi-
cal. He says in part
THE challenge to the five Socialists
elected to the New York Assembly to show
seats has by its very suddenness created
a sensation. In fact, it is quite possible
that the suddenness, rather than the prin-
ciples involved accounts for much Of the
sensational character by the treatment of
this incident by the press.
Would Go to the Bottom.
Without attempting to pass on the legal
or political merits of the matter, / want
to say that, now that the question has
been raised. hope the committee will go
to the bottom of the matter and show
clearly the difference between the Social
ism of Marx and Engels and the Bolshe-
vism of Lenine and Trotzky, If there be
any. and also show clearly whether the
leaders of the Socialist party in this coun-
try, in their revolutionary writings, mean
to overthrow 'overturn' and destroy
our present society by ballot or bullet.
Judge Hughes point seems to be we'll
taken, that il these men are disqualified
to sit in the Legislature because of their
disloyal views they should also be. dis
qualified to vote.
THE Socialist press bureaus are nat
urally working overtime, and they may
be pardoned for making every possible
use they can of the present situation.
But 1t is well for non-Socialists not to be
taken off their feet by such stuff as the
Socialists are putting out.
For instance. they speak of the 10000
Socialist vote. There never was 10000
Socialist vote At the time the Socialist
party had, by its own admission, less than
10000 members. The rest of the vote
was made up of populists, freaks and all
kinds of discontented people.
Large Vote q "Grent Fake"
"The 10000 Socialist vote which they
talk about Hillquit having received for
Mayor of New York is just as great
fake The Socialists themselves have
analyzed that vote and pointed out that
they got the votes of tho pro-German
Germans and the anti-Englsh Irish. the
Irish World openly supporting Hillquit.
The Socialist party has less than 5000
members in the United States. But how
much noise a little handful of revolu-
s,onary windbags can maker
Mr.. Easley gives many quotations
from Socialist writes. both here and
abroad. to indicate that the Socialists
favor "a bloody revolution and the de-
struction of property rights as much as
do the Bolshevists in Russia. He quoted
Victor Berger as saying IN 1909 that
"the safety and hope of this country
will finally lie in one direction only
that of a violent and bloody revolution"
In addition to quoting from Marx and
Engels. Mr.. Easley added these ex-
cerpts from the New York Call of
August, 191f:--
1--WE want to see the workingmen OF
all these lands turn on their butchers
and murderers, and rend them into
fragments"
And now the thing has started, we
don't care how they do it, whether with
cannon, musket and sabre, or with con-
fiscation and legislation. Any old way
that is most convenient provided only
that they do it,
"We are through with protesting
mourning and deploring. That time has
passed and now We stand for destruc-
tion-the destruction OF capitalism"
Mr.. Easley quoted III. M. Hyndman.
OF London, one Of the foremost living
Iexponents of Socitism. as making this
rather disquieting suggestion
Chemistry has placed at the disposal
az the desperate and the needy. cheap
and powerful explosives. the full effects
of which are as yet unknown. Every
day adds new discoveries in this field !;
the dynamite OF ideas is accompanied
lin the background by the dynamite OF
material force. These modern ex-
plosives may easily prove to capitalism
what gunpowder was to feudalism.'
perger Sues Jersey City Officials.