The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-01
WILL NOT LET
SOCIALISTS IN
N.Y.ASSEMbLY
State Legislature Takes Final
Action on Suspended Mem
bers- Special Election to
Fill Places Impossible.
VOTE IS Overwhelming
(By Associated Press)

City, the entire delegation Of their
party in the New York assembly, were
expelled from the Legislature today.
The majorities in favor of unseatlng
Hhe men, suspended on the opening
day of the legislative session on
charges of disloyalty. were substan-
fial.
Some assemblymen who had voted
TO unseat Waldman, Claessens and
Holomon cast their ballots In favor
Df reseating Dewitt and Orr on the
ground that the evidence had not in
Crimtnated them beyond establishing
their adherence to the doctrines and
platforms Of the Socialist party. Ma
1ority Leader Simon L. Adler shared
this opinion.
Took Up % Hours.
Voting came after % hours of ora
ftory, parliamentary wrangles and hl-
clustering.
Owing to the fact that the men were
fexpelled after midnight on March 81,
there can be no special elections to
tfill their seats in the assembly unless
IAN extraordinary session of the legis-
Hature is to be convened.
Theodore Roosevelt, Republican.
voted against expulsion, having ar
gued with the assembly during the
might that it had no right to exclude
1.-THE party.
The first chapter of the story in
the expulsion of the Socialists was
written on January 7, last. the day on
which the legislature convened for it's
regular 1920 session. Immediately
after Speaker Sweet had been re-
elected he ordered the five Socialist
assemblymen before the bar of the
House and told them that a resolu-
hion to suspend them from participa
tion in the business of the assembly
pending an investigation of their 10y
atty was to be introduced, and that
they would be allowed their day in
court"
Disloyalty Is Alleged
The resolution which then was Of
fered by Majority Leader Adler set
forth in its preamble that the Social
ist party of America, at is national
convention in Chicago last August,
had declared adherence to and solid
arity with the revolutionary forces of
Soviet Russia; that it had endorsed
the principles of the Communist inter-
rationale at Moscow; that the consti-
tuition and bylaws of the Socialist
party provided that members Of the
dues-paying organization elected to
public office might be expelled from
the party if they refused to abide by
the instructions of the organization,
and that such instructions might be
given by an executive committee
made up in whole or in part of aliens.
The resolutions charged the Social
3st members with being engaged in
s1arge and well-organized conspiracy
ITO subvert the due administration of
the law and to destroy the right to
own and hold private property hon.
sestly acquired, and to overturn the
whole fabric of our constitutional
form Of government" and charged the
judiciary committee of the assembly
with the duty of conducting an in.
quiry.
Hearings Begun Jan. 20
Hearings were begun on Jan. 20
after the Judiciary committee had
been appointed and organized, with
Louis NJ. Martin, Republican of
Oneida, as chairman. A notable ar
ray of attorneys headed by Attorney
General Charles D. Newton appeared
for the state, while Morris Hillouit.
Seymour Stedman. Gilbert E. Roe, s,
John Block, William Karlin and Wal
TER Nelles appeared for the suspended
assemblymen. Twenty four DAYS were
consumed in the hearing.
The final debate on the matter
lasted about 20 hours and more ths n
40 members participated. The cham.
Der was crowded with spectators from
the time the assembly convened at
10:3o a. M. yesterday until long after
midnight. Many of the visitors re-
mained throughout the night and
heard the assembly record its verdict
For the members Of the lower house
the session was most trying The
house was operating under a close
call. which meant that no one was al.
lowed to leave the outer portals of the
chamber without pass signed by the
speaker Luncheon and supper were
brought to the members by the pages
and were eaten at the desks.
Waldman and Solomon remained at
the capitol throughout the delibera-
tions. Both appeared to be highly
amused at the proceedings and smiled
frequently. The other three men
under fire were not present.
Wouldn't Be "Good Sport"
AT the conclusion of the speech of
Assemblyman Martin G. McCue
Democrat from New York, in which
the Socialist members were called by
such epithets as traitors, "curs" and
whipped dogs, Waldman sent a note
TO McCue, reading as follows:
"Marty-be a good sport and move
that be given the floor to answer
you. Will you do it?"
Assemblyman McCue did not reply
Democrats Try to Postpone.
The early hours of the deliberations
were marked by outbursts Of personal
bitterness and animosity which crop
ped out in chickering's and wrangles
ipver parliamentary technicalities in
the course of an attempt by the Dem.
Ocrats to postpone consideration Of
the case until today, when 1t would be
too late for Governor Smith to call
special elections to fill the vacancies
resulting from the expected unseating
Df the five men. Minority Lead er
Charles u Donohue and his colleaeuea
were said to feel that it would subject
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