Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-04-08
a COIOred Landlord.

colored man applied before Judge
Metzger, of Lycoming county, for
hotel license in Williamsport.
On Tuesday the Judge granted
the application and delivered the
following opinion:
ga large number of the citizens
of the Fourth ward of the city of
Williamsport have signed the Pc
tition of the applicant, and have
certified to the necessity of this
hotel in said ward. A number of
the citizens of the same ward have
signed remonstrance agaist the
granting of the license. and the num-
Der for. and against the petitioner is
so nearly equal, that it is very hard
to determine the necessity of the
house from the papers alone. There
seems to be wide difference in the
sentiment of the citizens upon this
subject, but after inquiry, we find
that many of those who signed the
remonstraDce admit the necessity of
this hotel in the city, but are of
opinion that the location of the
house is not the proper one for
such hotel. The very same OH
lection was made last year, when
the application for license was made
for house in the centre of the CITY,
and it was then urged that if one
was granted, it should be in a To-
cality where large portion of the
colored population resided. The
application as amended, is now for
house located in ward and on a
street in the vicinity of which a
large number of colored people re
side. 1t seems to me that if q
license for hotel to be kept by a
colored citizen is necessary in this
city, it would be almost impossible
to select more appropriate To-
cation. To refuse the license, under
the circumstances, is virtually to
say that no colored man need ap-
ply.
There is a population of more
than 800 colored persons in this
city, large portion of them who
reside in the Fourth ward. There
are two Masonic Lodges, two lodges
of Odd Fellows, one lodge of Good
Samaritans and one Grand Army
Post, all composed of colored men,
bers. Colored visitors to this city
and colored travellers who have oc.
casion to stop off here, frequently
have difficulty i'll getting hotel ac-
comodations, and are obliged to
seek entertainment from private
colored citizens. That they have
the same right to hotel accommoda-
tions that white citizen has, can
not be questioned that it is better
that such entertainments should be
furnished by one of their own num-
ber, is equally true; that a colored
citizen is entitled to a license equally
with the white citizens, upon the
same terms and conditions, is also
true. 1t follows, therefore, that if
the colored applicant is a fit person,
and the house is necessary for the
accommodation of the public, the
license should be granted.
We have for these reasons con.
cluded to grant this license. If he
shows himself worthy, keeps q
proper house, and conducts his
business in a lawful manner, We
shall not regret this action. If IN
the other hand, he violates the law,
or conducts his business in an i'm.
proper manner we shall feel COM
PEELED to revoke his license We
have confidence in the ability and
character of the applicant to con-
duct good and orderly public
house, and we sincerely trust that
time will prove that our confidence
was not misplaced.-Ec.