Arizona republican., 1920-09-22
SOCIALISTS ARE
 DENIED SEATS IN
 NEW YORK HOUSE
TRepubIican A. p. Leased WireJ

l TRepubIica an 4. p. Leased WireJ ALBANY, N. Y., Sept. 21.-The as sembly of the New York state legisla- | ture tonight, by a vote of 90 to 45 in | each case, expelled three of the five l Socialist members-Louis Waldman and August Claessens of New York and Charles Solomon of Kings county and voted, S7 to 4S, to permit Samuel A. De Witt and Samuel Orr, Socialist i members from the Bronx to retain l theIr seats. The two last named, how Lever. after a vote to reinstate Waldman had been lost, S1 to g, took the floor in turn and verbally rendered their resig nations.
 The proceedings tonight were not un- l like those that occupied virtually all of March 31 and into the early morning of April l at the last session, when all 1 five were barred from their seats, ex- cept that tonight the dramatic situa- l tions and excitement that attended the first custer were lacking.
 The resolution calling for the ex- | pulsion of the five Socialists was in troduced yesterday by Col R. H. Gillett, Republican, Columbia county, and to- day the judiciary committed to which l it was referred, reported the resolution back to the house for consideration without recommendations.
 During the day a move on the part Of several assemb1ymen resulted in As semblyman Cuvillier Democrat of New York, presenting three amendments which provided for the unseating of l Waldman, Claessens and Solomon. Later, Assemblyman Wells of Kings of fered two additional amendments to provide Tor the unseating of Orr and Dewitt
 Debate Lasted Five Hours l The debate was inaugurated by As semblyman Cuvillier at 2:4o o'clock q f1a1 hours later, when the voting began. Colonel Gillett withdrew his original resolution so that the assembly might vote finally on the five amendments separately.
 l Throughout the day there was un- certainty as to what course the assem- ply finally would take. and even as l the debate progressed it was impossible l to tell what the vote would be- After a statement by Speaker Sweet last night. which virtually declared that the Socialist party had purged itself on the objectionable clauses of it's constitution which resulted in the expulsion of the i've men last spring. several of the as- l sembly leaders during the debate ad- Vanced the same argument in favor of seating the Socialists
 Assemblyman Louis NJ. Martin Re- publican chairman of the judiciary | committee which conducted the trial of the Socialists. said that the five men were expelled because of certain con dltlons that existed in their party at lhat tine Since then, he said, the Socialist party had eliminated all the grounds upon which the judiciary com mlttee, or a majority of it. recommend I ed the expulsion of the men last spring | put now they are members of a party that has complied with the law and the | constitution of the United States.
 At this point Assemblyman Amos asked MT. Martin if the men were orig lnally expelled simply because they were members of the Socialist party | Mr. Martin replied that that was so in so Tar as the findings of the judiciary committee were concerned; from the eVloence adduced the committee could find no personal guilt. Because of 1 thls, the changes that had been made Tn the constitution of the Socialist party, MT. Martin said he could not vote consistently at this time to unseat the men,
 Minority Leader Donohue called at tention to the fact that the counsel who acted for the judiciary committee at the trial and who were paid s1o0 0O1 Tor their services, had declared that the changes that have taken place in the Socialist party constitution made it legally impossible to expe1 the Social : ists from the extraordinary session.
 individuality Not Considered
 Majority Leader Adler, who voiced the sentiments of Chairman Martin of the Judiciary committee, and Minority Leader Donohue declared that the in dividuality and personality of the men should not enter into the proceeding and that the Socialist party had purged itself and constituted itself as a legitimate political party.
 The Socialists took part in the de-
 bate and each declared he had come to the session to serve the people in help ing to solve Or remedy the housing situation and not to make apologies or defense of the Socialist party or be- cause they were Socialists They
 characterized the proceedings as un- American.
 Some of the members who. had ex- pressed in their arguments the opinion that Waldman, Claessens and Solomon should be expelled because it was al legged that they had been found person ally guilty of disloyalty, brought from Orr and Dewitt the declaration that they would not stand for any com | promise. They declared that if the
 three. were guilty all five were guilty 1 and that if the assembly expelled | Waldman, Claessens and Solomon i must also expel them.
 r Claessens declared that they haC 1 taken their cases to the people whC
 were their judges and juries. and sait "If you want another appeal, gc
 ahead" He predicted that all five would be reelected again and tha | other Socialists would continue to b. 1 elected to the assembly until eventual | ly the party would have a majority il i the lower house.
 i Assemblynan Martin McCue. Demo l crat, made his argument a summing UT l answer in reply to the Socialists. H'