Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-06-20
NEGROES TRY THE BATHS.


action of the three negroes who went
from place to place on Sunday night
and ordered refreshments or accommo-
dations for themselves. AT most of the
places where they went they were treat
ed, after the surprise at their arrival
had subsidized, in the same manner as
Caucasians would have been. Del
monico's, the Bartholdi, and other first
class hotels were not too good to obey
the law, and the men got what they or
dered, we'll cooked and well. served.
Shanley's and O'Neill's restaurants
were more particular, and refused to
serve them, and if they choose to push
the matter, this policy may prove a
costly one to them. At the Turkish
baths there was woe when the three
arrived.
Gail full" was the word passed out at
Everard's baths and at the Murray Hill
baths after consultation. at another
bath further down town, however, the
proprietor himself appeared and put in
a plea for mercy.
eff you insist I've got TO let you in,
gentlemen" said he. "Of coupse / un-
derstand that it's the law and Pm not
going to get myself into hot water by
disregarding it. Personally l should be
glad to see you regular customers of
mine, but you know just as well as | do
that it would ruin my business, and If
YOU insist on coming in tonight 1t will
injure my business veryimuch."
Very WE'LL" said Mr.. Anderson, 1--WE
are merely making test. We have no
desire to iDjure you or anybody else.
Good night :" and the three went away.
1t has been the custom in the past for
certain hotels either TO refuse point
blank to serve colored men or to make
the service so bad as to be unbearable,
but this latter method will not do un-
der the new law. AS for refusal to
serve damages have been recovered
number of times for that. Mr.. Ander-
son says in reference to his rebuff of
Sunday night at certain places:
'This matter will be pressed, and |
will have plenty of backing, financial
aud otherwise, to press it. l shall en-
ploy the best counsel that can be had,
and the restaurant men and the Turk
ish bath proprietors who declined to
serve us will be proceeded against civil
ly and criminally."
Mr.. Anderson went to Albany yes
terday morning. The hotel men are
reluctant to discuss the matter, fearing
on the one hand to offer open house to
colored people in their places, and on
the other to bring down upon them
selves visitation by announcing their
aversion to colored custom. The mana
ger of one of the largest hotels in town
voiced general sentiment when asked
Saturday if the trio had visited the
hotel.
"No,'' he said, "they haven't been
here yet," and then added under his
breath, "Thank God"
One OF the provisions of the bill per-
mits the complainant to collect dam
ages from 500 to $500 from the offend
er if convicted, and this is regarded as
dangerous provision by the hotel
men. Said one of them:
aWhether or not colored people are
desirable customers the fact remains
that high-class house where they
came habitually would soon lose its
business. 1t will be undemocratic and
snobbish, very likely, for people to
feel so in land where all are political
ly equal, but they feel so and you can't
get around that fact. Now under the
law any unscrupulous negro of slouchy
appearance could come to my place
and practically blackmail me. I'd rath-
er pay a small sum of money to him to
stay away than to serve him in my
restaurant. I'm afraid advantage will
be taken of that part of the law, for if !
refuse to serve then he prosecutes, and
if he wins collects enough money to
live on for some months"
Another. hotel man denounces the
law as a political move and predicts
that it will lose the whole of the hotel
vote and the vote of patrons of hotels
to the republican party.
you'll see," said he, "that the re-
publicans will find they've made a big
mistake in passing that law. 1t will
take thousands of votes away from
them. Pm a republican, but I'll never
vote for any man that voted for that
bill or had anything to do with passing
it. To win few votes by it the party
will loss many"
What is interesting the walters in re-
gard to the new bill is whether the law
making discrimination against person
can be construed to protect man who
doesn't give tips, and who consequent
ly has been doing quite as much wait