The Washington critic., 1890-02-12
C0L0RED MEMS RIGHTS.
WILL NOT BE RECEIVED AS GUESTS
At SOME HOTELS.

At SOME HOTELS.
Proprictors Say They Will Not Enter
( tain NegrOes--What an Incident at
the Riggs House Gave Rise to
Leading Exceptions,
The question of the position of col
| ored men under the civil rights law rs
/ guests at hotels has been raised in an
! interesting fashion by little episode
! that has somewhat disturbed
/ The equonimity of Landlord Spof.
ford of the Riggs House. On
Monday afternoon Nathaniel Mckay. Il
well-known Republican of decidedly
radical ideas, who took a very active
| part against President Cleveland in the
campaign of 1888, and who is a guest
at the hotel, invited II. Q. G. Astwood,
a colored man, and eX.Minister to San
Domingo, to take dinner with him. Mr..
! Astwood, who was not registered. but
was at the hotel to keep an appoint
ment with Mr.. Mckay, accepted, aud
the two took seats in the dining room.
Just at this time Congressman Thomas
w. Grimes, who has been boarding at
the hotel, came in and sat down at the
same table. As soon, however, as he
saw Mr.. Astwood he arose, and, going
to the office, paid his bill, declaring
that he would not stay at
hotel which received negroes
as guests. 1t was reported that Con.
gresham Lester of Georgia, who is
boarding at the Riggs House with his
family, also threatened to leave If he
found that the hotel entertained negroes
as guests.
Mr.. Mckay, while expressing the
hope that the incident would not iniure
the hotel, said that he had nothing to
regret for his part, and that Representa-.
tive Grimes should be ashamed of him.
self. Mr.. Astwood did not know of the
reason why the Congressman left the
table until informed some time after
ward.
When asked this morning If Con.
gressman Lester had carried out his
threat to leave the hotel Mr.. Spofford,
the proprietor, said that that gentleman
had said nothing to him about such Il
move.
"All that know about the matter, 3"
he continued, sis what | have seen in
the papers. If I had been around at
the time there would have been no
trouble. AS to the position of the
| Riggs House in the matter of receiv.
ing colored men as guests the
hotel has been here long enough to have
that well known" Without stating
specifically what this established Gus.
tom of the Riggs House was, Mr.. Spof
ford gave the impression that the hotel
| did not want negroes as guests.
Inquiry at the leading hotels showed
that nearly all entertained this view OF
| the matter
"Our position, said the clerk of the
| Arlington, ''is that of the first-clas>
hotels of New York and other cities
| We do not entertain negroes. Nobody
wishes to offend them, buGas matter OF
| protection of our business we cannot
receive them They recognize this, and
do not think that any have ever ap
piled here for rooms.
At the Randall and Metropolitan
| hotels it was also stated that they had
never had any applications from colored
| men.
The question has never been raised
| here" said the clerk at Willard 5
Hotel, "but my impression is that
under the civil rights lawI we
would have no right to refuse a
We could give him room
without any windows. and otherwise
unfit for occupation, however, If We
did not care to entertain him. Whether
we would be obliged to serve him meals
is a question | can't answer. If q
sensible colored man, like ex-senator
| Pinchbock, came here and asked for a
room, and that meals be served in his
room, he would be received without
objection"
AT the Ebbitt House it was said that
colored men had never been entertained
there, and that none had ever applied
for rooms, while at the National il was
stated that the hotel would receive
reputable colored men just as it would
those of any other race.
Apropos of the incident at the Rigg,
House, it is recalled that ex-senator
Blanche X. Bruce of Mississippi, thu
present Recorder Of Deeds of the Dis
trict and one of the ablest col
ored men who has been in public
life, boarded for some time at vii
lard's. His meals were served in hi
rooms, and his conduct was always s(
courteous, sensible and discreet that NJ
white guest ever thought of obiectinG
to his presence as guest of the hotel.
| When the civil rights law was passet
the negroes were disposed to avail
themselves to the utmost of the new
privileges which they fancied it con
terred upon them. Out of this disposi
tion on their part reached case tha
made big commotion in the Distric
at the time. Mr.. Aman the Ninth stree
restaurateur, posted a notice in hi
place saying that drinks were $40 each
but that liberal reduction would bt
made TO regular customers. This le,
to a suit by colored man, and in til,
lower court Aman was fined and th,
colOred man awarded damages.
An appeal was taken and Ben Butle,
argued the case for Aman in thC
higher court. He contended that
saloon-keeper could no more be com
PEELED to sell liquor to u maj