New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-04
Socialists Ask
Smith to Call
New Elections
Party Leaders Prepare for
Legal Fight for Ousted
Five, First Move Is De-
mand for Their Salaries
Untermyer Offers Aid
Plans for Court Contests
Will Be Considered at
Labor Farley Wednesday

Leaders Of the Socialist party in con-
ference yesterday at party ~headquar-
ters. Z East Fifteenth Street, urged
Governor Smith to call Immediately a
special election to afford the Ave So
cialist Asscmblymen expelled from the
Assembly q chance to go before their
constituents for reelection. Plans were
also laid for action in the courts to
nullify,. if possible, the action OF the
Assembly.
As a first step in this direction. it
was announced, mandamus proceedings
will be brought by the Socialist party
to compel the State Treasurer to pay
the salaries Of the Assemblymen, on
the ground that their expulsion wa.
illegal and that they are therefore still
members of the Assembly. Samuel
Untermyer, it was announced, has
offered his services TO the Socialist
party in any legal action it may under
take.
Present at the conference were the
five expelled Assemblymen, Louis VALID
man., Charles Solomon, Samuel A. De
Witt, Samuel Orr nd August Claes-
sens; the committee of eight which has
been handling the fight for the So
cialist party, consisting Of S. John
Block, Jacob Hiilquit, William Karlin.
julius Gerber, Alderman Abe Becker.
man, Benjamin Glassberg, Walter Cook,
state secretary Of the Socialist party.
and Algernon Lee, and James Oneal and
William A. Henry, representing tho ma
tional executive committee of the So
'~cialist party.
Untermyer Offers Help
The following telegram was received
from Samuel Untermyer. from River
side, Calf, by NJ. Block:
~ am glad to know that your clients
will fight their lawless custer to TIE
last ditch. | am returning Wednesday
aud will gladly do anything in my pow
er to assist in asserting their legal
rights against the blow at orderly,
democratic government"
At the conclusion OF its session the
conference issued a statement declar-
ing that the Socialist party intends to
carry the fight to a finish and announc-
ing That on Wednesday evening q meet
ing would be held at 7 East Fifteenth
Street, attended by labor and civic or
carnations from greater New York, to
lay plans Tor initiating a campaign of
propaganda against the AssemblySs &C.
ton. The committee of seventeen, con-
sisting Of representatives from the Cen
trail Federated Union of Manhattan and
the Central Labor Union of Brooklyn
and other labor organizations, will d.
rect the campaign. A mass meeting of
protest will be arranged. Letters have
already been sent out. it was declared,
20 labor organizations and other civic
oodies asking support.
The theory on which the Socialist
party leaders are proceeding in asking
.he Governor to call a special election
IN the districts left vacant by the ex-
PEELED Assemblymen is that under leg
!slatlve law the session ac which the
vote of expulsion was taken was the
continued session OF March 81. The
iaw provides that special elections
must be called in districts left unrep.
resented prior to April 1. 1t was an
open secret, however, that the session
va prolonged into April l to prevent
the Governor from calling special cleo
tions. The Socialist leaders explained
yesterday that shield they be unsuc-
cessful in prevailing upon the Gov
ernor to call special elections they
would ask him to call a specia, .sssion
of the Legislature, in which case n.~-
elections in the Ave districts will take
place.
The following were appointed by the
conference ia take charge Of the legal
Nelles, William karlin, Jacob Hillquit
and Gilbert E. Rose, q former law
partner Of Senator Robert NJ. La Fol-
iette.
Following is the statement issued by
The conference:
1.-THE Socialist party has received
many expressions of sympathy and
congratulation because Of the position
in which it has been placed by its
enemies at Albany-sympathy because
Of its temporary defeat and c~ongratu-
lations because 1t is made tho fore
most defender Of representative insti-
buttons by the action Of its opponents.
THE party will take full advantage
of the opportunities which it's enemies
have unwittingly given 1t. Plans are
Icing considered for carrying the fight
INTO the district Of every man who
struck down the representative sys-
,em. who disfranchiscd more than
$4,000 voters and who seeks to dis
franchise more than l0o,0 900 others in
the state. W. realize that the only
reason why many of the upstate voters
have scquiesced in this crime is be-
cause they have been the targets Of
boiler plate propaganda by our enc
mics for many months. They are not
aware Of the tremendous issue in
volved. They. do not know that the
same bigoted politicians would strike
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