REPRODUCED AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DECLASSIFIED Alhority Statele teruhr by me, NARA Date 2498 As soon as the extent of the Communist successes was known, the press was filled with articles discussing the possibility of disbarring the Party candidates.
It was pointed out that the best ground for accomplishing this objective involved the application of a law passed in October, 1931, which prohibited Communists from participating as a group in elections. writ based on this law to declare null and void the election of Communist candidates in the San José district was in fact presented to the Provincial Election Board, but the Board declared on February 17, 1934 that the subject was outside of its jurisdiction. The suggestion was made that, in the last analysis, the question was one for Congress to decide. The decision of the Board was carried even further.
by Judge Gutiérrez, who in a statement made to the local press, asserted that it was absolutely impossible legally to rule out the Communists since they had been allowed, prior to the elections, to inscribe their party and to register their colors. The time to have ac ted, he said, was before and not after the elections.
The attitude of President aJiménez on the so called Communist problem as expressed on several occasions is briefly that as long as the Communists behave themselves and endeavor to reach their objectives by pacific and not by violent methods, there is no constitutional way of preventing them from participating in government.
Barring unforeseen developments, therefore, the successful Communist candidates will take their seats in the near future in the Congress and in several of the