The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-16
DISAcREE over
APPLYING LAW
70 COMMUNIST
CONTINUED from Page one.)

Continued from Page One.)
Inclination that the department OF
1uaf{ce was not of the same opin-
Ion - the department Of labor in
handling deportation cases. This
fundamental difference has long
heen known and involves really IN
! aftitude OF mind. The department
81 justice views the radicals as
pcK50ns OF whom short shrift
sltould be made. It contends that
the procedure with reference to
deportations is purely administra-
tive and not criminal and that all
the department Of labor needs to
do is to be satisfied by the depart
lnent of Justices Investigation that
q man comes within the meaning of
deportation laws and he should be
deported.
Deprives Of Home.
On the other hand, the depart
ment OF labor insists that while the
procedure may be administrative,
1t is as serious as a criminal mat
ter, for it deprives a man of his
home and contact with his family
and possessions and drives him out
OF the country. Such an action
should not be taken in the view of
the department of labor without
being absolutely sure of the facts.
Therefore, the department urges
that every dependant be given an
opportunity to be represented by
counsel and witnesses who can re-
flute the testimony of the govern
ment agents who make the COM
plant.
The debate in the cabinet more
over developed another vital point.
Thousands of so-called "commun-
lists" were originally members of
the Socialist party and never con-
sciously participated in any cam
paign to preach the overthrow OF
the government by violence. How
ever, many Socialist organizations
and unions of foreign born workers
have been transferred to member
ship in the communist party.
Oftentimes the action occurred at
a convention where the simple pas
sage of a resolution by oral vote
constituted the transfer of men,
hership Does that make an indi-
vidual who had previously belong
ed to the Socialist party mem
Der" of the communist party? The
law reads membership" in the
communist party. 1t isn't even
necessary to prove that an individ-
ual himself believes in violence.
The law is drastic and rigid and
the department of labor officials
claim that only 3 per cent of all
the individuals arrested for de-
portation expressed personal be-
lief in violence. On the other hand,
the department is deporting men
and women in accordance with the
law and when it is satisfied that
an individual is a bona fide mem
Der of the communist party.
Hitch Comes on Membership.
The hitch comes in establishing
the fact of membership" which is
a contractual relationship. Many
individuals had knowledge of its
revolutionary manifesto but did not
construe its meaning to be inimical
to the country's interest. This de-
Tense has not been accepted by the
department Of labor. But an indi-
vidual, it is insisted. must be given
chance to show that he did not
sanction the enrolment of his name
in communist party or that he
was aware of the kind of doctrines
being preached by the party with
which he was consciously or I'M
! consciously enrolled 1t is a oues-
tion really of fact, and the cabinet
closed its discussion of the subject
when Secretary Wilson expressed
the belief that he and Assistant
Secretary Louis +. Post of the de-
partment of labor and Attorney
General Palmer could Unquestion-
ably come to harmonious agree
ment when they sat down TO thresh
the matter out Mr. Post has been
handling the question during the
unavoidable absence of Secretary
Wilson
The entire session of the cabinet
didn't last more than an hour and