Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-22
SOCIALIST QU|zzED
IN NEW YORK PROBE
Secretary of Local First Witness
Called Before Legislative
Committee
PARTY PLATFORM EVIDENCE
BY the Associated Press

Albany. N. Y. Jan. 22.-Julius Ger
Der, secretary of the New York local of
the Socialist party, was the first wit
ness called today at the trial before the
Assembly judiciary committee of the
FIVE suspended Socialist assemblymen
charged with disloyalty.
AS soon as Gerber had been sworn j.
3. Stanchfield, committee counsel, OBJ
tanned from him copy Of the constitu
tional platform of the Socialist party
in 1917, which was introduced in evil
dence.
Mr.. Stanchficld also introduced in
evidence the state constitution of the
Socialist party, from which he read
excerpts, including one providing that
candidates for public Office should, on
receiving nomination, leave their resig-
nations with the party to insure their
fulfilling party commands. Bylaws OF
the New York county organization also
were introduced.
Mr.. Stanchfield read extracts from
the national platform, which says the
consent of the party organization. state
or local, is necessary for any member of
the party to hold public Office. All per-
sons joining the party must subscribe
to a pledge to be guided in all political
actions by the constitution and prin-
ciples Of the party organization.
All Must BE Paciists
Any Socialist voting for any appro-
priation for military or naval purposes
shall be expelled from the party, ac-
cording to the constitution. The instru
ment further prescribed that Socialists
elected to legislative bodies should or
ganize into group separate from all
other parties and should always vote
as unit.
Expulsion from the party is the pen
atty provided in the constitution for
voting for any candidate for public Of
flee other than Socialist party members,
who has not been indorsed or recon-
mended by the party organization.
The application of Samuel A. Dewitt
and Samuel Orr, two of the suspended
assemblymen, were introduced as ex-
hibits. and Mr.. I1ollquit admitted for
his clients that the other three members.
Charles Solomon, August Claessens and
Louis Waldman, had signed identical
cards.
The card bears on one side the fam
ing torch, which is the Socialist EN-
blem, as well as the decision by the ap-
plicant that he recognizes the neces-
sity of organization in the struggle be-
tween the Capitalist class" and the
workers. The reverse side contains sta
tistical information as TO residence,
citizenship, age, place of birth, and the
names of Socialist publications of which
he is regular reader.
Socialist Rules Are World. Wide
After Gerber had testified that he
was familiar with the literature of the
Socialist party in other countries,
Morris Hillquit, chief counsel for the
defense, asked if it was not true that
the same rules prevailed in the Socialist
party the world over.
When Mr.. Stanchtield objected on
the ground that 1--WE are not Interested
in the party outside the United States"
Mr.. Hillquit said he was ready to ac-
cept that statement if the prosecution
would contne itself to the party in
America. The chair ruled the question
could be answered and Gerber replied
in the affirmative.