The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-27
Our Job Department
Wednesday,, June 81, 1877.
No Jews Admitted in the Grand
Union Tote.

SOIlC TIME SlllCC JutSO '1ilt'h, eCS'
for the widow of a. T. Stewart, gave or
ders to the managers of the Grand Cnlol
Hotel at Saratoga Springs to admit M
Jews to this public house. Two week:
ago Joseph Seligman, a prominen
banker of New York applied for boart
and lodging at this place, as he has done
every summer for tho past ten years
when the manager said to him: 81 all
very sorry, Mr.. Seligman, but the order
are pcremptory that ne Jews shall be re
ccivcd as guests in this house. If any
were to be received, l assure you tina
Yourself and family would be among TIT
number. But the instructions are I'M
perative to make no distinctions
Mr.. Seligman asked whether this rnl'
was enforced because of any lack of pro
,pricty, or of cleanliness, or of honesty
among Hebrews, to which the clerk re
piled: "Oh, no! by no means! Las
wears business ut the Grand Union wa:
very bad, and, as the hotel was more
sought after by Jews than by Other
.%nationalitics, Judge Hilton ordered tina
this season no Jews be admitted. HI
hopes thus to obtain a large attendance o
guests"
This action on the part of a Northern
hotel keeper shows a spirit Of intolerance
which should lie rebukcd in the strongest
terms. While the law of the United
States attempts to force the African corn
field hand into our hotels, it seems
strange to US that the Jewish race should
be prescribed on account of their religion
at a time when England has accepted a
Jew as Prime Minister.
Mr.. Edward Lautcrbach, Mr.. Joseph
Seligman's lawyer, said Mr.. SeliSman
and his house, by dint OF personal indus
try, great business capacity and I'M
swervlny honesty, may wlthout flattery
he termed the foremost Jews III the
United States. Mr.. Joseph Seligman was
the President Of the Rapid Transit Com
mission is member OF both Syndicates ;
has been a leader in Republican councils
is the first Vice-President of the Union
League Club; a prominent member OF
the Chamber of Commerce, and the Pres
ident of Prof. Adlcr's Ethical Society.
He has also been Il member Of the Board
Of Education, and honored i'll other ways,
not only by his own people but by the
whole community. He was the only gen.
tlemen with whom eX-Presldcnt Grant
dined in this city during his recent visit,
although flooded with Invitations. He is
connected with every charitable lnstitu-
ton of almost every sect. His brother
T-,n, &C., lsrn,tnr Of thn Fifth a ypnl1l
Temple Emanuel, and Jesse is the Presl-
dent of the Hebrew Benevolent and Or
phan Asylum Society, the largest lie
brew society in the world.
Mr.. Seliginan possesses a university
education, and studied medicine in Ger
many He is Il good speaker. His FAM
ily is refined and cultivated. Mrs. SeliS-
man is a quiet, transformations lady, well
known for her acts OF charity. The chill
dren have received the best education
that money and care could provide. One
of Mr.. Seligman's son recently accom-
plished the remarkable feat at Columbia
College OF carrying of the first prize in
every study. Another son belonged to
one of the victorious Columbia crews
that rowed at Saratoga. Horatio Alger,
the popular story writer for boys, was a
tutor in Mr.. Seligman's family, and i res
ldent IN his mouse 1Or years.
Several Of the hotel keepers at Long
Branch have been interviewed or this
subject and it seems that there is consid-
cradle prejudice against the Israelites
among both hotel keepers and then
christian and heathern guests. To build
the Grand Union Hotel cost s., 1000, 900,
and Accommodations are furnished here for
$500 persons. Judge Hilton says he
takes the course he does merely as 4 bus
mess transaction-not that he has any OBJ
lection to any particular Jew. Many per-
others think it matter of small concern.
Tho Jews will likely withdraw their
large trade from tho house of. a. II.
Stewart & Co., of New York, as the con-
sequence of Hilton's action at Saratoga.
a keeper of one of the largest hotels said
to a San reporter:
"Hiton's manager was right, only he
made a mistake in telling Seliglhan that
he couldn't take him because he was a
Jew. l won't take a Jew. Their money
is good enough, butt I should, l would
lose all my other guests. When jew
comes to my house l either tell him that
l hain't any rooms, or else show him
high back rooms and charge him an enor-
nous price for them. That gets rid OF
them. Our best guests will not come or
stay if we have any Jews ut all, and sc
we have to decide between them and the
Jews. / would not hesitate to take some
Jews. Mr.. Seligman is a desirable guest
in every way. But the line must be
drawn somewhere. 1t is not because
they are Jews, but because their habits
and ways are not pleasing. The hotel
keepers don't make any war upon the
Jews. but the best class of guests don't
like them, and that is the reason why We
can't have them. They won't go to 4
hotel Of their own They want to flock
in where the best people arc, even though
they know they are not wanted. Land
lords have more trouble with them thar
with any other class"
In an editorial the Ncw York Herald
says:
An attempt to revive the old prejudices
against them would be 4 revolving All.
achronisln even in any country in Flu.
rope, but in America, where we ignore
distinctions of race and religion, it seems
9n atfrOnt TO our tree ana tolerant lnStl.
t%utions, as well as to the spirit Of the age.
Judge Hilton could have had no conccp-
ton of the potent moral and social forces
which he was unwarily defying when he
gave that order to the managers of his
Saratoga hotel. It was a thoughtless in
fringenent of legal rights as well as an
atfront to the sensibilities of a large, in
~tiuentiaI and respectable portion of the
community. The proprietor Of a hotel
has not the same absolute control of his
property that belongs to the owner Of a
private residence. Hotel keepers are
placed by law in the same category as
common carriers. They arc not at liber-
ty to refuse accommodation to any person
who applies 50 long as they have accom-
modations at their disposal This law is
equally obligatory on common carriers
and GA innkeepers. If Mr.. Vanderbilt
had directed his agents to sell no tickets
to Jews it is easy to imagine what a fer
ment and comnIotion would have been
raised. But it would have been an act of
precisely the same nature. Squeamish
and over-fastidious people might as well
object to riding in the same palace car
with a Jewish family as to board with a
= L.