New-York tribune., 1905-01-21
ASK Mr.. DEWEY'S REMOVAL
PETITION OF RICH JEWS
gay State Librarian Uses Office TO
Help Hotels That Bar Them.


To-k. AT their meeting in Albany on "Wednesday
,.st through the Chancellor whitelaw Reid
hv a number Of prominent Jews Of this city on
.bs ground that he president of the Lake
plsre Company excludes Jews from the
,,i,iieges OF the hotel. cottage and other prom
sr,ies Of that corporation while they as taxpav-
-. contribute 10 his salary as a State official
the Regents referred the petition to the proper
committee, but gave it no publicity. The petit
,toDers saw 10 occasion for such reticence
The petitioners state that they have no COM
nsint 10 make as 10 the fact that members OF
.1sir race are excluded from the property of
,be Lake Placid Company. They base
,bsir request FOR Mr. Dewey's removal on the
,sci that in circulars calling attention to the
exclusion a Jews the company refers TO the fact
that The state Librarian is president of the
compsny: that he is using his position as a
,,bBc official 10 do act of injustice 10 per-
sons who contribute 10 his salary from thu
state
The si-ncrs or the petition are Louis Marshall
Jscob H. Schif Adolph Lewisohn, Daniel Gug-
eenhsim. Isador Straus. Henry r. Ickelheimer,
Nathan Bijur Cyrus L. Sulzberger, Edgar ].
Nathan Adolph s. Ochs and Abraham Abra-
ham. The petition, which was referred to the
library committee for investigation. was as fol-
lows:
Your petitioners respectfully ask for the re-
moyal from Office Of MelYil Dewey, the present
state Librarian, whose tenure of Office is de-
pendent upon /sour action
We are not /unmindful Of the serious nature OF
our application and viii, therefore, proceed to
state the facts which we base the conclusion
that he has disqualified himself from continuing
as the incumbent Of the important place which
Mr. Deuey is the president Of the Lake Placid
Company. a corporation organized under the
laws Of this State June %. 1891. The orig
sv-l corr of the COnDanV Lake
Placid Hotel Company" Its articles Of incor-
poraion state the objects for which the COM
pany was formed 10 be the keeping Of hotels
in the counties OF Essex and Franklin. in said
state and the purchase OF real estate available
.or hotel purposes and for use in the hotel busi-
ness and the purchase and erection OF hotels at
such places as shall seem best in the prosecu-
lion Of such business, and operating and using
necessary conVeyances TO and from the same
On the petition Of this corporation, verified by
Mr.. Dewey. its president, the corporation name
was. by order OF court entered on May Is. 1900.
changed 10 the Lake Placid Company"
For some years Mr.. Dewey has been the lead
ing ana guiding spirit OF the Lake Placid Com
pany. and he IS recognized by the business
munty as the most active factor in its opera
tons. AS viii be seen from copy Of such
letterhead, which is hereto annexed the oper-
aions Of that company are of wide extent. COW
ering multitude Of activities, which are
ranged into departments. Among these depart
lnents what is termed the Lake Placid
Club" II is this club which constitutes the ho-
lei tor the conduct OF which the corporation was
orgsnzed; otherwise the Lake Placid Company
IS carrying on business IN absolute violation of
ne terms Of its incorporation and the statutes
The Lake Placid Company runs the club. fur
Iashes the capital necessary for its operation,
pronts and bears all the losses Of the club. The
club has no assets, is possessed of no legal en-
.uty, and is what MIR. Dewey describes II to be-
pany
This alleged club has for some time past pub
hcly issued circulars and other printed matter
I,aE (NOr-
which have been distributed by that company
9earhg upon their very face irrefragable evi-
gsnee OF the fact that Mr.. Dewey is the author
Ihey are earmarked by the method Of phonetic
spelling Of which ne is the distinguished pro-
hoteE in these circulars is 10 be found an elab-
otsle statement Of the advantages which the So
following:
No one VIII he received as member or guest
against whom there is physical, moral, social or
race objection. who would be unwelcome to
,lEn small minority This excludes abso-
I-tey al consumptiyes, or. rather invalids
L ~hoss presence might injure health modify
oiners' freedom enjoyment. This invariable
% %.t-e is Hglay enforced. It IS found imprac-
ucaole 10 make exceptions TO Jews or others ex-
cations" HN'''ii
There reside in this State about 10000 Jews.
\ large proportion of them are taxpay-
@ ~; VINO contribute their quota to the SUPPORT
go. go maintenance Of the institutions Of the
So, aha ne payment Of salaries of public Of
TTs-als, lhcluQIng that which is paid 10 Melvil
10y as the State Librarian They take a
g,lae IN the State and in its government They
seHote lnelr energies and their intellect 10 the
- .ePt-eill OF It's resources and the fostering
y us Industries. They strive 10 raise the
sai-aFe ot public intelligence; to cherish learn
~, ~ promote arts, sciences and literature
,,co.sio nal+ sought 10 advance the cause of ed
--elof.' 70 as great an extent at least as any
~. I, y t'e citizenship of this commonwealth.
49, ireL, therefore. that they have right to
.--siiio mat one who as a public servant rem
- s7,-'e az the people OF the State of whom they
sIs part 50 long as he remains such a SER
Cr71ra
hsesuIt' under the sanction OF your honora bic
l,,es.-. sAali not with iTnpunity, pander to the
t-SL pre1u1ices Of which man is capa BILE
~ - ~ me lhIolerable spirit manifested In
a. 80 y s CIRCULAR. which is the far-off echo
aairaa isi-oI anu brutality Of medieval times. has
b-- 10 ioolhold in this State. There have
bsll sporadic instances where drunken rowdies
rr,,.S gwen evidence Of similar sentiments bv
7leres sis Deards Of aged and defenceless men.
sigI'. nave likewise been cases where short
t;eea ;e.e7a !rnkeepers have refused accommoda-
ls.ers - "tAs who have applied for them. 1t is
clubs bs,-a i',lsislood that number Of social
~ er,i"s.F e1erclsed their undoubted privilege
So S-iiealng from membership those OF the Jew
a. s,L' = ar De II from TO take umbrage
concern 'iieila- WIN them we have ma
rlacns B91 when her high public official who has been
frarcb ~ you al the head OF an important
one "a ~ - me educational system OF the State.
49, "a ~hom the youth OF the State are acctis-
r.~ece. - LOOK for instruction and guidance, for
igto,i' ana example. either from motives of re-
lions - laclal hostility or from cOnsidera-
80 49, OF peeuniary greed or from Ignorance or
- an so far forget himself and the du-
sili'A ne owes 10 the entire public as TO
49, t51 broadcast through the land a publication
- - mos 10 make OF the Jew an outcast and
= 9sfiah, the State and you as lis rfgbt arm
alIiiot afford TO triae with The ofrender or al
~ au infamous precedent TO be established
- 1e - y Dut one course TO pursue and that IS
20 remove from the service OF the state .ba of :.
"a whose act undermnes the very Foundations
u our governmental system
~ Mr Dewey may to-day iDnpose obloo,,., ,,po,,
ne jew, he may tomorrow sttacl- 49, SSatto
~, ~. me next day the Methodist and thus In
,t IIh violate the most sacred sentiments Of ali
me people OF the State A al
- lar as we are concerned Ne neu.a.. .,,a..