New-York tribune., 1920-02-08
koenig Cracks
Party Whip in
Socialist Case
New York County Chairman
Seeks to Bring Roosevelt
and Other Republicans
Into Line With Sweet
Defense Plans Surprise
May Summon Speaker as
Witness; Try to Disquali-
fly Assenblyman Cuvillier
From . S.aS Correspondent

from CS0U C0fVOSpo1deNt
ALBANY, Feb. with the case Of
tho prosecution practically completed
In The trial Of the Ave Socialist Az.
semblymen, the suspended men and
their counsel are making preparations
for presenting their side, when State
Attorney General Charles D. Newton,
chief counsel to the Assembly Judici-
ary Committee, announces that the
prosecution rests.
There will be a conference here Mon
day night of Seymour Stedman, Morris
Hillquit, Gilbert E. Roe and s. John
Block, counsel for the accused Assem-
blymsn.
At this conference 1t will be decided
whether the defense will call Speaker
Thsddeus c. Sweet, Majority Leader
Simon l.. Adler, Senator Clayton r.
Lusk and the counsel to the Lusk COM
mittee, who knew in advance that the
charges were to be preferred against
the Socialists. These are Attorney
General Newton, Archibald E. Steven
son and Samuel Berger.
1t is almost certainty that these
elk men will be called by the defense.
That has been the expressed attitude
Of those actively connected with the
prosecution in the last two weeks, but
In the absence Of HillQuit, who has
been resting at Saranac Lake, no con.
Clusion has been reached.
Koenig Exerts Pressure
Majority Leader Adlersa and tho chair
man of the Lusk committee, and the
three counsel of that body were virtu-
ally the only men who knew In ad-
vance of Speaker Sweets intention to
oust the Socialists.
Some of these men,. according. to
well-founded gossip here, advised
against ousting the Socialist delega-
way and stampeded the Assembly into
voting for their expulsion. Only two
Assemblymen-J. Fairfax Mclaughlin
and William S. Evans, Of the Bronx
voted against the Sweet-Adler custer
resolution.
But since then there has been whole
sale condemnation on the part Of the
A;assemblymen, notably by Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt, William c. Amos
and Joseph steinberg, Republicans, and
minority leader.
Powerful pressure has been brought
TO bear on these men to stand behind
Sweet. In the case Of two Of the
Republicans mentioned efforts have
been made to silence them pending the
trial, according to reports current
here by Samuel s. Koenig, chairman of
the Republican County Committee Of
New York County.
Koenig told one of the Assembly
men that he was bitterly opposed to
the ousting Of the Socialists, that he
believed it was a mistake, and added:
"But I don't believe you will be
helping the situation any by making
moves for their reseating or Offering
resolutions attacking Speaker Sweet"
Said one of the two Assemblymen
who was spoken to by Chairman
Koenig:
"Koenig wanted me to trail along
with the crowd, saying that making
fuss would hurt the party. But told
him that believing this was blow at
the very foundations of representative
government / could not remain silent,
and that it was the silence which was
hurting the party, as many who did not
know the facts thought the party was
behind Sweet. AS a matter Of truth
Sweet has the backing only Of group
OF ractionary mossbacks."
publicans, who wanted to come out
against Sweet have been held in check
by their leaders, and by fear that
legislation in which they are interested
would be killed by Speaker Sweet.
Would Disqualify Cuvillier
It is expected that when the prose-
cution rests its case a motion will be
made to dismiss the charges and reseat
Assemblymen Claessens, Orr, De Witt.
Waldman and Solomon. Anticipating
q. denial of the motion, the next mo-
tion will be to exclude Assemblyman
Louis Cuvillier, one of the two Tam
many members Of the Judiciary Com
mittee, from voting on the findings be-
cause Of alleged BIAS. A like motion
Sor similar reasons. It is said, will bs
made regarding Speaker Sweet.
The Socialist counsel declare that ss
dinner at the Fort Orange Club hers
on Wednesday night Assemblyman
Cuvillier made speech in which he
said all the Socialist Assemblymen were
guilty of the charges brought against
them.
During a debate since the custer
Cuvilliar said that if they were guilty
they should not only be expelled, but
This alone, the Socialist counsel
hold, justifies their challenge Of Cuyil-
hers capacity to sit as judge.