New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-24
Home Commas
OF Oa1sted Men
Is Joyous Orgy
Hundreds of Socialists at
Station Cheer Assembly
mem and Carry Them ON
Shoulders Through Crowd
Women Try to Kiss Them
Deposed Legislators Confer
With Hillquit; Attack Both
Old Parties i'm Statement


The three ousted Socialist Assembly
men, Louis Waldman, Charles Solomon
and August Claessens, accompanied by
their two colleagues, Samuel A. De Witt
and Samuel Orr. who withdrew from
the Assembly in protest against the
custer, returned to New York. from
Albany yesterday.
They were greeted at Grand Central
Station with rousing cheers by hum
dreds Of Socialists, headed by Julius
Gerber, secretary, and Adolph Germer,
organizer of the Socialist party in New
York City. Delegations of Socialists
from the districts represented by the
five Assemblymen gathered at the rail
road terminal an hour before the ar
rival OF the train from Albany.
When the Assemblymen alighted
from the train the crowd Joined in
CRIES of Long live Socialism," The
legislators were seized by enthusiastic
partisans and carried through the sta
ton upon their shoulders to waiting
taxicabs. Before departing the five
Assemblymen, with cheering hundreds
gathered about them in the street,
posed for photographs. For while
the police at the station had trouble
in maintaining order. Many persons
sought to break through the rope pass
ageway prepared by the police and
women tried to kiss the semblymen.
Confer With Hillquit
The five Assemblymen, accompanied
by Gerber and Germer, were taken to
the Office of Morris Hillquit, where
they consulted with members of the
State Executive Committee of the So
clallst party. Following the meeting
q statement was issued in which the
Socialists bitterly assaulted the custer
OF their Assemblymen and accused
both the Republican and Democratic
party machines of responsibility for
it. The statement said that the issue
raised at Albany is whether or not
labor shall be permitted representa-
ton at Albany, and upon that issue,
declared the Socialists, the ousted AS
semblymen will go before their con-
stltuents in November for reelection.
The action of De Witt and Orr was
approved at the meeting.
After reviewing the custer proceed
angs against the Socialists last spring
and the present expulsion of three of
them, the statement said in part:
What is the reason for this per-
slstent persecution of the Socialist
party? What is the reason for the
persistent disregard of the will of the
people? Why did the two old parties
fuse IN the special elections held on
September 16? And what is the reason
Tor the absurd compromise that re-
suited in the. expulsion of three and
the seating Of two of the Socialist As
,semblymen?
i, The Socialist party stands now as
1e1ore for collective ownership of pro-
ductlve property. The Socialist partv
stands now as before for the manage
ment OF industry by the workers, Now
as before, the Socialist party stands
for the rights of the workers as against
the claims of the profiteers. In this
uncompromising attitude of the So
ciallst party lies the explanation of
the custer proceedings
Assail Both Old Parties
"The Republican and Democratic
parties, vaguely conscious of their
class interests, are dominated by def
nlSeiy class-conscious politicians. The
lnnuences emanating from the Union
League Club are the influences of Wall
street. The fiat has gone forth that
held by the Socialists shall be per
mltted seat in the governing BODY
of New York State.
Ihe fusion of the old parties in the
special election is a confession that
there is no difference in principle be-
tween them. that The capitalist infln-
ences that control one control The
other. In fusing, the Republicans and
democrats put the issue squarely 70
the voters. The fusion was a tacit
agreement to abide By the decision Of
the voters in the election, and vet
when the election went against fusion
and when the victorious Socialists
sought to take their seats, the fusion
ISIS abandoned their tacit agreement
and used force to accomplish the pur-
pose they could not otherwise accom-
pTsh. And again, behind it all, the
iron hand of the capitalist power is
visible. 40
Socialist Principles Involved
."The compromise reached at the
eleventh hour to seat two and GUST
tnree was a desperate attempt to make
tne best of desperate situation. The
TWO VINO were seated stand for pre-
ciseiy the same principles as the three
VINO were expelled What the three
ousted Socialists did the other two also
aia. A more absurd situation, a more
inconsistent one, cannot be found in
parliamentary history. Assemblvmen
Orr and De Witt promptly and very
properly withdrew. They did so he,
cause they felt, and we indorse their
sentiments, that IL Waldman, Claes-
seas and Solomon were made to aufYar
fos their principles they did not wish