The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-20
Ono OF the Trial. OF The CoIoretI RHsc.

ono OF tnc Erthlh OF the SOlOfeu HASC'
The New York Post Of the l7th COM
ments as iolowson thetroubles Of the color
ed jubilee singers. on the occasion OF their
visit to that city last weeks
Much indignation is felt at the refusal
by all the hotels OF the city to accommO-
date the Fisk Jubilee Singers on their arri-
val last "Wednesday night. They had ell
gIged quarters in one OF the hotels, but the
proprietor subsequently changed his mind,
and on their arrival refused to admit them.
This Obliged them to seek lodgings else
where, and hey went 10 all the hotels in
town III vain Finally, after midnight,
they engaged rooms in two colored board
ing HOUSES. In many cases the excuse
given was bOnd;fdc, rs all the leading hotels
are full to overlooking. Three hotels, how
ever, put the refusal frankly on the ground
OF color. Yesterday they engaged rooms ut
the st. James Hotel, where most Of the
troupe arc at present.
At the clos. OF their concert last night
the Rev. DR.. Rankin made 4 statement OF
their difficulties, aud was followed by Fred
erick Douglass, and Mr.. LIndin, OF the
troupe, on the same subject. Mr.. Landin
said that when they were denied admit
lance few months ago TO the hotels in
Springfield, Illinois, President Garfield tel
egraphed them that ii they ever had any
trouble oil the sort to come ut once to the
White House, where they would always be
welcome. As they Were wandering about
town on Wednesday night seeking food and
shelter they We're fOrciDly reminded Of this
hospitable invitation and the horrid TRUCE
dy which had silcnced that kindly voice.
Fred. Douglass said that while one must
feel natural Indignation ut these ailronts
the colored people should rejoice in the
progress Of civil rights. The troupe could
not do more to remove prejudice. The ir-
rcsistibse beauty and pathOS OF their songs
were SO great that they had only TO perse-
we're to conquer prejudice.
10 speaking OF the case this morning
Fred Douglass said lie hoped the incident
would receive proper attention in thepreSs
1t Was shameful thing that these singers
who had been received with every mark OF
attention by the most exclusive aristOcrats OF
Europe, and who hnd never in all their ex-
tended travels in foreign countries met with
any discOurtcsy or discrimination on nc.
count OF their race and color, should have
been positively unable to find u bed in the
inns OF the Capital Of the United States,
and this twenty years after they were sup
posed to be in iull possession Of their civil
rights.
1t can be said for Wheeling that on the
occasion OF the visit OF the Fisk singers 10
this city some years ago they were hos
pitably entertained ut the leading hotel OF
the city, as was Frederick Douglass on
previous occasion. They had rooms TO
themselves and table TO themselves. 1t
can also be said that ut the dining hall OF
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company at
Grafton in this State respectable colorcd
passenger on tho trains has been seen 10
take his seat ut the tables and eat his meal
unmolcsted, being served precisely as
other passengers were served. At the timo
Of the Chicago Convention, the colored
delegates to that body stopped at the lead
ing hotels OF that city precisely as other
delegates stopped at them. Allthis shows
that the popular prejudice against colored
people is not universal even in this couu.
try, and that like many other prejudices it
is on the wanc. The time will come when
all respectable colorcd people will get fair
treatment on board every conveyance and
at every hotel in the land.
1t is nothing moro than just to say on
behalf OF many hotels that they do not 80
much object.to entertaining colorcd people
merely because they are coIored, as be.
cause Of their frequent unprescntablS ap.
pearancc. There nre hotels-plenty OF
thcm-that do not desire a certain class Of
white people to stop with them, mainly
because thcy are not tidy, clean and re-
specialize looking These same hotels
would much prefer TO entertain Frederick
Douglass or ex-senator Bruce rather than
some white people. All hotels have
choice as to their customers.
The time Is coming when Us tho colored