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Show ISQCIAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB MAKES PROTEST Expulsion of Socialists From New York Assembly Denounced De-nounced as Injustice NKW YORK, April 5. A protest agatnst tho expulsion of Socialist from the New York legislature and an appeal for amnesty for certain classes of "political prisoners" was made in a statement issued by the executive ex-ecutive committee of tho docial Democratic Demo-cratic club of America. Tho chief danger to tho country at the present moment, the statement said, "is not from the red Bolshevists but from the 'white reactionaries, -who. under the cloak of patriotism and 10U per cent' Americanism are attempting (0 inaugurate a thoroughly un American Ameri-can policy of repression." it added: "Our American Ideals of political democracy are confronted with two rival ri-val Ideals, caciicrof which may be called call-ed Bolshevism, in tnat it involves a repudiation of the covenant on which lour democracy is founded. In this covenant, cov-enant, the tacit agreement, the majority ma-jority Is lo have freedom of action, first, in carrying out Its policy, second, sec-ond, that the minority is to have freedom free-dom of speech in voicing its criii-clsm. criii-clsm. The red Bolshovlsls attack the first half of this covenant and tho white Bolshevists the second." Referring to "political" .prisoners convicted under war legislation, the atatemonl adds: "Pending repeal of the laws under which they have been tried and convicted con-victed we petition President Wilson and the 'executive officers of tho states that are concerned to cxerciso their power to pardon and grant full amnesty to nil who are now in prison for tho opinions which they honestly held and courageously expressed." I Tho protest Was signed by Charles I Edward Russell and others. nn |