New-York tribune., 1920-01-22
To the Editor Of The Tribune


Sir: For the first time in years |
find myself out of sympathy with q
policy of The Tribune. refer to your
championing the cause of the critics of
the Assembly i'll its action against the
five Socialist members, which has
brought you, in effect, wellnigh to de-
Tense of socialism itself. That I, to-
gether with a goodly number Of your
friends here, regret this policy and
keenly feel the loss Of your sustaining
hand In this crisis, can assure you
The main arguments Of the honest
critics of the Assembly, such as your
self, MIR. Hughes and Mr.. Stmson, ct al 80
are, in my humble Judgment, based on
false premises. You are paying too
much attention to what we lawyers call
form and techncality. Once these false
premises are shattered, the whole edi-
lice upon which you have based your
arguments will fall to the ground.
First: You are quarrcling with the
method pursued by the Assembly. 1t
should be remembered that the Assembly
did not eXpel these Socialists, as it seems
10 be taken for granted by its critics.
1t merely suspended them pending a fair
and impartial investigation of their
qualifications. If these susnected mem
bers were first to be seated in the AS
sembly with full rights and then inves-
tigated, it would have amounted to al
lowing them to take part in passing
upon their own guilt or innocence. 1t
would have amounted to giving one ac-
cused Of a crime the right to sit on the
jury trying him for the offense More
over, the action Of the Assembly was
altogether within its rights according
to precedent, even in Congress, and I
challenge any one to point to q single
word in our Constitution that initiates
against this right of the Assembly.
Second: Mr.. Hughes, ct al, advanced
the untenable theory that the Assembly
can only concern itself with the personal
guilt of these five Socialists and that it
had no right to concern itself with the
fact that a member may be affiliated
with revolutionary, anarchstic or
ganization that is pledged and is seek
ing to destroy by force our constitu.
tional form Of government! This mon
strous doctrine was tanned down some
what, thanks to the brave efforts of Mr.
Guthrie, in the New York Bar AS
sociation, which prevented great shame
from being cast on our profession. YOU
fell into the same error when you
wrote, speaking Of the five Socialists
Are they personally gulty?"
beg leave to submit that in view Of
the fact that they are knowingly ant
detiantly members of an organization
that last August declared cts solidarit,
with the revolutionary forces of Soviet
Russia" not to believe their guilt is or
par with the folly of those who re-
fused to believe the black intent of tho
German even after tho sinking of the
Lusitania Men are responsible, in law
and morals, for the natural differences
and consequences that may be draw
from their deliberate acts, speech ane
voluntary associations.
Third: You, Mr.. Hughes, MIR. Stim
son, ct al, are making labored and ar
almost pitiful attempt to point out ,
distinction between so-called evolution
airy and revolutionary Socialists-be
tween Socialists and COMMUNISTS Her.
is distinction without difference
and Is not unlike the one sought to b,
made during the war between the Ger
man government and the German pcopl,
and which you 80 ably exposed as falls,
and rotten. Even Mr.. Stimson is kline
enough to point out that he objects L