South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-01-11
EXPLAINS STAND
OF LEGISLATURE
New York ASSembIyman Gives
Reasons for 0uSting So
CialiStS From Seats.

| by Associated Press,
NEW YORK, Jan. 1O.-The New
York assembly's suspension OF lis
five socialist members follows the
recent practice Of congress. state
| Sen. Clayton n. Lusk. chairman OF
the joint legislative committee i'm
vestigaung seditious activities. de-
clared in a statement issued here
| Saturday night
| The assembly's action amounts TO
a challenge OF the fitness to serve
of the socialists "as individuals
Sen. Lusk said. The charges against
/ them were based on evidence pre-
| scented before the joint legislative
I committee. ne added. although the
/ committee is mot the complainant
| nor party 20 the hearings"
! Charge RadiCalism.
! The charge is that they as in
dividuals personally stand for the
overthrow of the established state
and national governments by force
and violence Sen. Lusk said.
| Their affiliations with the socialist
party. as now organized. their atti-
! tude toward communism and their
activities are simply evidence having
a bearing on the question OF wheth-
or they individually are pledged TO
! the violent and revolutionary over
/ throw of our government The same
| procedure would have followed if
! charges had suddenly been made
| against them of corrupt practices
/ fr- al. oh.
with sufficient evidence 20 make a
| prima facie case, would result i'm
] their having TO submit TO a hearing
! before being seated. In fact if "a
| charge of any serious crime were
made against an official between the
time of his election and the time of
his taking his seat. the public would
expect such charges 10 Doe cleared
before he took office
This practice has recently been
followed i'm congress. These cases
are identical in principle.
Reasons for Challenge.
These men have not been chal-
lenged merely because they are So
| ciaiists and of course they Will not
bee convicted and deprived OF their
seats merely because they arc So
Cialists. The difference of opinion
which has arisen over challenge
made 10y the assembly of tileir right
| 20 take their seats is premature be
! cause obviously any intelligent dis
cussion must be based On the proofs
I'm the case and whatever proofs
there are have not yet been put in
evidence"
The socialist party staged three
rallies late Saturday at 10th 81.
and Fifth av.. in the heart of the
! distric- which sent August Claes-
| sens. suspended socialist member %
| the assem- bly,. Claessens spoke TO a
crowd Of more than thousand per-
sons who cheered him repeatedly
What the outcome Of all this viii
be. I don't know" ClaesSens said.
Ask Mr.. Sweet The. are signing
their own death warrant. They are
| bringing about their own finish. II a
citizen has no right 10 east a ballot
then there is no democracy That
is state OF anarchy. We can in-
dict the democratic and republican
parties as arch-criminals
No Apology.
IT have no apology 90 make for
our manifesto. i say here and now
Long live the international social
| revolution. Every socialist is I'm fav-
or Of that. We have said it aga-u
and again. Social revolution does
not mean the use of bombs or guns
nor does &c mean march 90 con-
/ gress. or at any city han 20 over
throw the government We shall