Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-06

and nobemen, and occupying the bes
places. He thought that in few year
the prejudice against cOlored people il
this country would wear away, and the.
would enjoy equal privileges withou
question or notice. Mr.. TooEer, Q
Booths theater, stated that there woult
probably be union Of interests and tn
theaters would be governed by the ad
vice of counsel. Atthe Lyceum theate
and the Academy of Music it was ais,
understood that the managers would b'
guided in their course by counsel.
INTENTION OF HOTEL KEEPERS AM
RESTAURANT PRoPRIETORs.
At several of the most prominent no
teIs IN the city, where inquiries wer'
made yesterday as to the action pro
posed to be taken iE relation to the civi
rights bill, the managers were found tC
be very reticent upon the subject and
disposed to evade the question. At the
Fifth Avenue hotel, Mr.. Griswold said
he did not think that the bill would
trouble the New York hotel proprietors.
To the question if he would permit col
| ored men to have such rooms as they
| desired, he said he did not allow his
| present guests to dictate to him Is -
what portion of the house they would
occupy; they were assigned such rooms
as he saw fit to give them, and if they
were not satisfied they were at perfect
| liberty to 90 elsewhere. He declared
| that his course would be such as was for
the best advantage of the house and for
| the comfort of his patrons; but II COL
Ored man came in he would give him q
room. In answer to the question If he
would allow colored persons to sit at the
general table, Mr.. GriswOld said that
there was more than one dining-room to
the hotel, that he certainly would not
refuse to feed colOred guest, and would
take him into such of the rooms as he
saw fit.
At the Grand Central, a. L. Powers,
the lessee, was called upon, and in re-
ply to the question whether he would
entertain coiored guests, he said that he
did not think he would be either hOnOred
or troubled with them. When asked if
he would allow them to sit at the general
table, he said that the hotel was pro-
vided with three dining-rooms, and as
he did not allow any one to dictate in
his establishment, he could dispose of
colored guests as he saw fit, and that if
he saw fit to put any one in the smallest
dining-room he should do so.
At other hotels, the proprietors said
that they were not prepared to commit
themselves upon the subject; that they
thought it was a matter which would
regulate itself, and when the time came
for action they would be better able to
say what they would do. At the st,
Denis, in reply to the question, whether
the hotel would admit cOlOred guests,
the clerk said that il it was the law he
supposed that there would be nothing
left for the management to do but to
obey. The general impression given by
the proprietors was that probably all
their rooms would oe occupied, or not in
a condition to oreceive undesirable guests
In conversations with the leading up
town restaurant proprietors yesterday,
with one exception there was found
bitter sentiment of opposition to the
features of the civil rights bill relating
to the entertainment of the negro in
public houses and restaurants. One
proprietor of many years experience
with colOred walters had found them
the first to protest agAinst serving their
own people. He thought it matter
that would regulate itself; that the in
terests of his businC IS and the senti-
ments of his patrons should be protect
ed, and this even at the disregard of
law. He preferred to pay penalties
rather than suffer the destl action of his
business. Another gentleman employ
ing French servants stated that he should
exercise the right, as he always hsG, OF
discriminating with regard to the quail
ity and character of his patrons; that
he could not entertain colored people,
intoxicated or disreputable persons, nor
those who were untidily dressed; that
in all these matters be was obliged to
exercise the greatest caution. The sem
timents Of other prOprietors were found
to be similar to these. Only one was
found that expressed himself willing to
abide by the law. However disagree
able it might be to him personally, he
said he knew of no other alternative,
and in case his servants should refuse to
wait upon colored persons, he would
serve them himself. One proprietor had
in few instances served them in a re-
tired part of his saloon, or in a separate
room, and would continue to do so as
long as it did not injure his business.
Generally no trouble was apprehended
from the new law, as it was thought
that the matter would regulate itself in
the future IS it had done in the past.
VIEWS OF PROMINENT COLoRED MEN.
The feeling of the colored portion of
the population of this city generally
YVES found to be that the civil rights
bill was Of little advantage to the race,
and as political measure was failure. |
Isaac II. Hunter, OF No. 119 West |
Twenty street, one of the men,
bers of the Liberal Republican associa-
ton, said that the Radical Republicans
had played this measure as their last |
card, and in so doing had thought to |
win over the colOred vote; but the col |
Ored men had lost all confidence in |
the Republican party; and by taking |
from Charles Summers bill the very es-
sence of civil rights to the colored man,
the Republicans had spoiled their whole |
game. The colored voters had depended |
on the Radical Republicans 80 long, and |
had absolutely gained nothing, that |
they were not likely now to place any |
trust in them for the future.
Peter w. Downing, who is in the GUS
tomhouse, said it would have been bet |
ter if no bill at all had been passed than |
the present one. 1t gave the colored |
man no other rights than he had al
ready gained under the amendments to |
the constitution. The greatest adVan- |
tage to be gained by the former bill |
would have been education, and that |
was denied to the colored youth by this
bill. He believed that if the colored |
people were to be citizens, as they are |
by the constitution, they should have |
all the rights of citizens, and their chill |
dren should have the advantage of the |
best education that the children of any
other citizens could obtain. The only |
way to elevate the colored race would be |
by educating them, and many of the |
present social prejudices would be re- |
moved in time by the education together |
OF children of all classes. He was also |
opposed to the bill as being special legls-
lation, whereas, as to citizens, there |
should be no distinction under the law. |
G. P. Dorsey, Of Florence, Massachu.
sets, contractor for the works on the |
Mill river, said that he employed cos
mopolitan force, native and foreign, |
white and colored. This bill gave him
the opportunity to travel on the same |
terms as his men, whereas formerly he |
would have been compelled to travel in |
the smoking-car, while some of his men,
if they could afford it, might have rid |
den in 8 Pullman-car. He could also |
secure hotel accommodations under the I
bill. Still, with all this, the bill was not |
as it made class distinc- |
tion.
Rev. J. Morris Williams, Bethel par |
sonage, Sullivan street, said that the bill |
did not give satisfaction to the colored |
people generally, although a large pro-
portion accepted it as the best they were |
likely to get under the circumstances. |
In his opinion, it showed that the ad- |