New-York tribune., 1918-06-08
They Plan to Form New
Political Party Next
Wednesday
Buffalo Man Chairman
Fight Will Be Made on Candi-
dates for Legislature Who
Favor Prohibition
Especial Dispatch to The T-ibunc)

Especial Dispatch TO The Tribune)
ALBANY, June IA new political
party, to be known as the Hotel Mems
party. will be formed next Wednesday
at Syracuse. The prime movers in the
new organization are anti-Whitman
men.
number of upstate hotel men have
been holding meetings in secret for
the last month with view to organiz-
ing the hotel and restaurant men along
the lines of the New York State Fed
GRAFTON Of Agriculture. E. C. Greene,
of the Hotel Iroquois, Buffalo, has
been chosen temporary chairman, and
Garrct l. Benson, formerly secretary
Of the Hotel Mems Association Of New
York State, and their Legislative repre-
sentative, has been made chairman of
the executive committee of the new
party.
Most of the leaders of the hotel
mems party are Republicans. 1t will
outside of New York City. This will
insure its being elmingly Re-
publican.
Members Of the new party declare
that a canvass of the hotel men out
side of New York State shows 72 per
cent are Republicans. Of this number
AT per cent are enrolled Republicans.
Anti-Dry Movement
1t is the plan of the organization to
organize in every county outside of
the greater city. One of it's leaders
said to o-night there are 5000 hotels out
side of the metropolis, and that their
employees, who are for the most part
voters, will not need any urging to
the city Of Buffalo alone. he said, there
are more than $4,000 hotel and restau-
rant employees.
The chief object of the organization
is to defeat Governor Whitman and
candidates for the Legislature who are
known to be bone dry, either in the
primaries or at the polls. The hotel
and restaurant men are opposed to
the Governor because he is for proh-
btion One of the leaders of the new
party to-day said it would not surprise
him if the new party indorsed the can
didacy of Merton E. Lewis.
Appeal to Hotel Men
The new organization has sent tae
following letter to hotel and restaurant
men:
wherein citizens permitted to mind
their own business =?
Do you favor the absolute elimination
from public life of men and women who
persist in minding everybody's business but
their own and who would deny to their
fellow citizens their inalenabe right to
mind their own business?
Are you opposed to the further extension
CT state governmental regulation rs to
what we shall eat drink and wear in times
of peace?
Do you favor elimination of hypocrites
from the legislative halls of New York
State
Do you favor a reestablishment of the
golden rule in private, social and political
life?
If So you are invited to join in the
formation of new political party with
the above standards its platform.
The letter is signed by Mr.. Greer
and Mr.. Benson. Other prominent hote
men in the new party are: Duncan G
Mcleod, Of the Mcleod Hotel, Buffalo
Robert Summers, of the Statler Hotel
Buffalo; George F. Hurlbert, of the
Samuels Hotel, Jamestown; jacob
Messner, Powers Hotel Rochester; C
A. Miner, Lenox Hotel, Buffalo; Thomas
Digmun, Osborn House, Auburn; Mil
ton Roblee, Rochester Hotel, Rochester;
]. A. Causer, Ithaca Hotel, Ithaca
Proctor Wclch, Onondaga Hotel, Syra
cuse; A. II. Rennie, Teneyck Hotel, Al
bany.