New-York tribune., 1920-04-02
Neit't0n Defends
Socialist Custer
american Stand Of an,
American Leyislature,'
Says Attorney General

attorney General Chrlles D. Newton.
who acted as counsel to the Assembly
judiciary Committee, described the ac-
ton of the Assembly yesterday as "the
American stand of an American Lepis-
lature." The federation of wrong
through fear never was right, he said.
and the trial of the Socialists had
shown that their party had come to be
not an American political party, but
an anti-American revolutionary party.
American institutions, he said, would
survive only so long as Americans had
the courage to fight for them
I'm the depths of his disloyal heart. !"
SAID Attorney General Newton "evcry
Socialist nurtures the hope of ultimate
overthrow of this governn mt by any
means emergency requires. The cvi-
dence adduced by the state bears out
this assertion.
State Proved It's Case
ION the trial Of these men the state
proved that all Socialists are pledged
by their constitution not to vote for
any person for public office who is
not q Socialist, under penalty of ex-
pulsion from the Socialist party. The
manifest 1t obligatcs every Socialist
to oppose any redblooded American
WHO runs for public Office
Every Socialist is hooked up di-
rectly or indirectly with the Interna-
lonale. that secret movement whose
purpose is to undermine all established
governments. Disclaimers made by
these Assemblymen do not stand the
tess. The evidence Of nterrelation of
Ictc Of al ~ :
munlst organizations and the |. w. w
and other radical organizations gives
the lie to these disclaimers.
nave no patience or sympathy with
that class of citizens who by impulse
or msconception and without a thor
ough understanding Of the aims of
socialism aided and comfcrted these
Socialist Assemblymen far more than
the members OF their own party.
"Ihese ci'izens. standing as it were
on pedestal and viewing the situa-
ton in the abstract. felt mpelled to
rush to their aid. pleading loudly in
the public prints that it was un-Ameri-
can to interfere with the plans of a
party pledged to destroy every vestige
OF American government
No Fear of Msgivings
at is urged by these defenders of
the Socialists that this trial will make
more Socialists. | cannot accept this
view. 1t would be wrong to tolerate
the Vaccinations Of the Socialist party
to overthrow this government, and the
toleration Of wrong through fear is by
no means right
The sensible people Of the state will
haze no misgivDgs about the American
stand of an American Legislature.
They have learned, believe, that to
countenance the activities of radicals
is to invite disaster to American gov
ernment, and Will not share the view
of certain political aspirants and mis-
directed citizens that it is necessary to
handle disloyalists and seditionists
with kid gloves.
at is the privilege Of any group of
citizens or any political party to be-
neve that they will lose votes by op-
posing Socialism out in the open. That
view is hardly American, however. NV
position is that American institutions
Will survive just so long as Americans
have the courage to combat the
schemes and devices Of all radicals and
the determination not to cover at the
prospect Of losing the votes of Social
lists and their kind"