Republican farmer., 1920-04-02
Committee Says Their Seats Should Be Declared Vacant - Brands SO- cialist Party As Dis loyal Organization Trying to Upset Our Government.

Charges of ''Jtnfitness'' against the five socialist members of the New York State Assembly WaIdman, August ClaeSSens, Charles Solomon, Samuel A Dewitt and Samuel Orr-have been sustained by a majority of the assembly iu- dietary committee in a 10000 word report submitted to the legislature today. It not only maintains that the suspended members are disqualified" but says the seats to which they were elected should be decIar- ed vacant.
 Enactment of a law to prevent any organization which admits aliens to its membership from occupying the position of a. political party on the official ballot of the state is also ad- Vocated. Wa1dman, Claessens, Solo, mon, Dewitt and Orr, the findings state, ''are not >obedient to the con- stitution and laws of the United States and of the state of New York, nor desirous of the welfare of the country nor in hearty accord and sympathy with it's government and institutions
 Considerable attention is given in the report to the attitude of the so- cialist party toward the war and the events leading up to it. It mentions the fact that the party constitution provided that ''any socialist elected to an office who shall in any way vote to appropriate moneys for military or naval purposes or war shall be ex- pelled from the party It also quotes from the socialist national platform of 1916 that the working class must recognize the cry of pre- paredness against foreign invasion as mere cloak for the sinister purpose of imperialism abroad and industrial tyranny at home.''
 The report reviews portions of the evidence heard during the recent A days triad, purporting to show that the socialist party opposed prosecu- ton of the war; opposed all proposed legislation for industrial and military conscription, pledged themselves to work for the repeal of the conscrip- ton law, advised resistance to con scription of life and labor and urged the repudiation of war debts.
 Evidence before the committee g the report says, would indicate that the party was also engaged in a sys- tematic effort during the war to fos- ter claims of conscientious objec- tors.''
 Referring to the statement that some 2,0OO socialists had been ar rested for their activities, the report says:
 'It was impossible to give eNpres- sion to or act upon the true doctrines of the socialist party during the war without running afoul of the criminal law.'
 There is but one inference from the position of the socialists in reIa- tions to military and naval appropria- dons and for war;" the report states They would render the country and government helpless against all ene- mics so that it may be helpless against them, the enemies of established or der. And for the opportunity which the help8essness of government thus brought about would give them, they are willing to expose the state to as sault of all other enemies.
 '@The socialist party of America, '' the report continues, t'controlled and dominated as aforesaid is an organi- zation or group of men combined together for the purpose of hinderins and obstructing the government of the United States and the dues paying members of this group, including the five assem blymen, by their member ship, activities and contri5C|ous of funds were and are disIoyal to this government, and these assem- | were disqualified from taking the con stitutional oath of office on January ', 1920.
 we are therefore confronted on this day and by virtue of these re- cent events and facts with the ne cessity of determining how we shall treat this group of persons now in control of the socialist party of America and masquerading under its name as a political party, who are in the United States but not of it, who accept all the benefits of citi- zenship but repudiate all the duties of allegiance; who are the benehciar- ies of our laws and institutions and the sacrifice of blood and treasure made for the perpetuation of our in- stitutions, but refuse to support them who take all they can get but will
 
 lending and maintaining the govern ments, which is their sole and only guarantor of life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness, declare that they will obstruct and resist the government in the accomplishment o4 it's duty of self preservation 'The socialist party of America as now constituted with it's present pro- gram, is not loyal American or ganization or political party, disgrac- l ed occasionally by the traitorous acI or declaration of a member, but is a | disloyaI organization composed ex. clusive1y of perpetual traitors. There fore the act of a member of thai party in subscribing to the constitu> i tionaI oath of office to support the constitution of the United States ana | the constitution of the state of New I York should be utterly disregarded as patentfy sham and a mere cloak for l treachery.
 Several minority reports were
 transmitted to the assembly by mem