The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-30
CHARGES AGAINST
 SOCIALISTS HAVE <
 BEEN SUSTAINED
(continued from Page one.)


 ton of the war; opposed all proposed legislation for industrial and military conScripton, pledged themselves to work for the repeal of the conscrip- ton law, advised resistance to con scription of life and labor and urged the repudiation of war debts.
 Evidence before the committee" the report says, would indicate that hhe party was also engaged in a sys- ternatic effort during the war to fos- ter claims of conscientious objec- tors''
 Referring to the statement that some 2,OOO socialists had been ar rested for tt,eir activities, the report says:
 '4It was impossible to give eOpres- sion to or act upon the true doctrines of the socialist party during the war without running afoul of the criminal law.'
 There is but one inference from the position of the socialists in rela- tions to military and naval appropria- tions and for war;, the report states tNThey would render the country and government helpless against all ene- mics 50 that it may be helpless against them, the enemies of established or der And for the opportunity which  brought about would give them, they are willing to expose the state to as sault of all other enemies.
 ''The socialist party of America" the report continues. "controlled and dominated as aforesaid is an organi- zation or group of men combined together for the purpose of hindering and obstructing the government of the United States and the dues-paying members of this group, including the five assemblymen, by their member ship, activities and contrf5 c1ons ot funds were and are disloya1 to this government, and these assem- blymen for the aforesaid reasons were disqualified from taking the con stitutional oath of office on January T, 1920.
 we are therefore confronted on this day and by virtue of these re- cent events and facts with the ne- cessity of determining how we shall treat this group of persons now in control of the socialist party of America and masquerading under it's name as political party, who are in the United States but not of it, who accept all the benefits of citi- zenship but repudiate all the duties of allegiance; who are the beneficiar- ies of our laws and institutions and the sacrifice of blood and treasure made for the perpetuation of our in- stitutions, but refuse to support them; who take all they can get but will give nothing; who, so far from de- lending and maintaining the govern ments, which is their sole and only guarantor of life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness, declare that they will obstruct and resist the government in the accomplishment of it's duty of self preservation
 'fThe socialist party of America as now constituted with it's present pro- gram, is not a loyal American or ganization or political party, disgrac- ed occasionally by the traitorous act or declaration of member, but is disloyal organization composed ex' clusive1y of perpetual traitors. There. fore the act of a member of that party in subscribing to the constitu- tfonal oath of office to support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New York should be utterly disregarded as patentty sham and a mere cloak for treachery.''
 Several minority reports were transmitted to the assembly by mem bers of the judiciary committee who did not concur with the findings of the majority.
 Two Republicans, William W. Pel- let of New York. and Theodore Stitt of Kings, signed a report expressing g the belief that the socialists were en- titled to retain their seats. They state that while the evidence present ed to the committee discloses that the socialists both as a party and as individuals refused to render the gov ernment any service during the war and that this attitude merits the se- verest condemnation, no evidence was produced to show that the attitude of the socialists was not other than negative, withholding aid and com fort to their government. rather than a positive one of giving aid and com fort to the nations enemies.
 The legislature, they say, cannot by statute prescribe membership in a political party as a condition for hold ing office, nor the taking of an oath of loyalty as a. condition for exercising the right of suffrage and for this req son the legislature should not ex- clude from membership duly elected member by reason of his afiiation with any particular group or party.
 TWO or the UhS1nOCIduhc Ihod1fOedS ol the committee, Maurice Bloch of York and William S. Evans of the Bronx, in reports submitted to the assembly, hoBd that the body cannot unseat the five members without violating their own oath of office"
 In his report AssenblyInan Evans does not approve of the alleged acts of the five socialist assembfynen, ad- naits some of the charges against them have been proven but contends that under the constitution of the state the assembly +is forbidden from imposing upon the members any test of loyalty and cannot exclude any of these five socialist assembByunen be cause they are loyal or believe that force and violence are necessary in establishing Q socialist state" In support of this contention that the assembly under the law canno! expd the five socialists, Assembly man Evans says:
 'It is not, under our state consttu- ton, a necessary qualification fol membership in the legislature to be D11rered of belief in foIrce and violence