The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-21
JEWS DEMAND DEWEY'S HEAD
Accuse THE STATE LIBRARIAN
or INCITING FACE PREJC DICE.
lie Is President OF the Lake Placid Co..
which Announces That Its Hotel VIII
Not Receive jews They Say Its
Circular Hears His EarmnrkS.

tlTfNlhT btaTS MS IaTHnuThs'
The connection Of Melvil Dewey, the State
Librarian. with the Lake Paod Company
which runs hotel at that resort in the
Adirondack and Of which Mr.. Dewey is
the president and chief promoter. has
brought him into conflict with some of the
most prominent Hebrews of this city and has
caused them to petition the Regents of the
State University to remove him from office.
The direct cause OF the petition is clause
/ In n circular advertisement OF the Lake
Placid Club. formal title of the hotel con-
duoedby the company. This Objectionable
clause s'ates thnt Jews no matter what
their personal qualifications will not be
admitted 90 tho hotel Here ia their petit
ton.
To Inc Regents Of The University Of the Stale
OF Nor York.
Your petitioners respectfully ask for
the removal from Office of Melvil Dewey,
tho present State Librarian, whose tenure
Of Office TX dependent upon your action.
va are not unmindful of the serious
nature Of our application, and will there
fore proceed to state the facts on which
we base the conclusion that he has dis
qualified himself from continuing as the
incumbent Of the important position which
he occupies.
Mr. Dewey IL tho president of the Lake
Placid Company, n corporation organized
under the laws Of this State on June -,
1891 The original corporate name of the
company was Lake Placid Hotel Company.
lts articles OF incorporation state the OBJ
Jeots for which the company was formed
to he the keeping of hotels IN the counties
OF Essex and Franklin in said state. and
the nurChnep pf raut available Tor
hotel purposes and for use in the hotel
business, and for the prosecution ana
improvement Of such business. and the
purchase and erection of hotels at such
places az shall seem best in the prosecution
of such business. and operating and using
/ necessary conVeyances to and from the
same
For some years Mr. Dewey has been
the leading and guiding spirit OF the axe
Placid Company, the letterheads of the
company bear his name and he Is recog-
niZed by the business community as the
most active factor in its operations
The operations Of that company are of
wide extent, covering multitude OF nc
tivities which are arranged into depart
ments, Among these departments Is what
s termed the Lake Placid Club" II is
this club which constitutes the hotel for
the conduct of which the corporation was
organized, otherwise the Lake Placid Com
pany is carrying on business in absolute
NiuldNlpil bl lit t'IIllN Oh lAb liNRi Ilpl dll'I
and tle statutes of this State.
The Lake Placid Company runs the club,
furnishes the capital necessary for its oper-
alton. makes all purchases. pays all wages,
takes all profits and bears all the losses
OF the club. The club has no assets, Is pos
sessad Of no legal entity and is what Mr..
Dewey describes it TO be, mere depart
ment of the Lake Placid Company.
This alleged club has for some time past
publicly issued circulars and other printed
matter emanating from the Lake Placid
Company. which have been distributed
by that company, bearing upon their very
face irrefragabe evidence Of the fact
that Mr.. Dewey is the author. They are
earmarked by the method OF phonetic
spelling of which he is the distinguished
submit a specimen received directly
from the Lake Placid Company. X TO be
found an elaborate statement Of the ad-
vantages which the so-called club affords
from which We extract the following
NO one will be received as member or
guest against whom there is physical
moral, social or race objection or who
would he unwelcome TO even n small mi
nority. This excludes absolutely all CON
sumptives or other invalids. whose presence
might injure health or modify others free
dom or enjoyment, This iryariable rule !
is rigidly enforced. II is found impractical /
BILE to make exceptions for Jews or others !
excluded. even when Of unusual personal /
qualifications.
There reside in this State about 10000 !
Jews. A large proportion of them are tax
payers. who contribute their quota TO the
support and maintenance Of the lnstitu-
tions Of the state. the payment Of salaries
of public officials. including that which is /
paid to Mr. Melvil Dewey a. the state |
Librarian. They take a pride IN the State |
and in its government. They devote their |
energies and their intellect 10 the develop |
ment of il resources and the fostering % /
It's Industries They strive to raise the I
standard Of public intelligence; to cherish I
learning; to promote arts, sciences and /
literature. They have sought to advance (
the cause of education, TO as great an eN- |
tent, ut least, as any part of the citizenship /
of this Commonwealth. They feel, there
fore. that they have a right to demand I
that one who, as "A public servant repre- I
sents ali the people of the State Of whom /
they are a part, so long as he remains such T
servant. and receives compensation from
the State TREASURY, under the sanction of /
your honorable body. shall not with inn /
punty pander TO the lowest pre!udices OF |
which man is capable.
Thus far the Intolerant spirit manifested |
in Mr.. Dewey's circular, which Is the far /
of echo Of the ignorant brutality Of medi- |
eval times has gained no loohold in this F,
State. There have been sporadic instances |
where drunken rowdies have given evil |
dence OF similar sentiments 10y pulling |
the boards Of aged and detenceless men. !
There have likewise been cases where !
shortsighted iunkeepers have refused ac-
commodations 10 Jews who have applied /
for them II Is likewise understood that a
number of social clubs have exercised their .
undoubted privilege OF excluding from I
membership those Of the jewish faith. /
Far be il from ~ TO take umbrage AT such !
phenomena With them we have no CON 4
Germ. But when a high public official
who has been placed by YOU at the head oil /.
an important branch Of the educational I
system of the state one to whom the youth |
are accustomed to look for instruction and |
guidance, for precept and example, either /
from motives Of rehgousior racial hostility |
or from considerations Of peciniary greed. /
or from ignorance and bigotiy can 40 far /
forget himself and the duties which he owes (
to the entire public as 10 spread broadcast I
through the land publication which tends /
to make OF the jew an Cutcast and a parah,
the State, and you as it's night arm. cannot
afford 10 trife with the offender or allow
an infamous precedent TO be established.
There is but one course TO pursue and that
is TO remove from the service Of the State
the official whose act undermines the very
OF our governmental system.
II Mr.. Dewey may to-day impose ohlOquy
upon the Jew. he may tomorrow attack
the Catholic, and the next day the Netho-
dist. and thus in turn violate the most
sacred sentiments Of all the people Of the
state
So far as we are concerned. Mr. Dewey