Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-09
THE COLOR QUESTION
1t Continues the Leading Topic at
St. Louis.
DENIAL OF REPORTED DISCRIMINATION
Hotel Proprietors Declare That All
Rooms Have Been Engaged.
TALK OF THE POLITICIANS


what shall be done with the colored dele
gates to the national republican convention.
The proprietors of the leading hotels deny
| that they have refused to entertain colored
men, as has been reported, but say their
rooms are all engaged" and that they cam
not accommodate the negroes, much as they
might wish.
A large number of national committee
men arrived this morning, but they were
reticent about giving their views regard
ing the treatment of the negroes by the
st. Louis hotel and boarding house keepers.
NJ. H. DeIoung of San Francisco, owner
| and editor Of the Chronicle Of that city, and
a member of the national committee, said
it was not part of the duties of the COM
! mittee to secure hotel accommoda tlons for
| any delegate, white or black. He would
oppose any effort to bring the matter before
the committee.
National Committeeman James Hill of
Mississippi, and negro, thought he secured
rooms at HurstS Hotel, but when he re-
turned there last evening from the head
quarters of the Merchants Republican
League Club he found the doors barred
against him, as II were. He was informed
that the clerk had made mistake in as
signing him room, every room in the hotel
having been previously engaged. Mr.. Hill
took in the situation at once. He quietly
paid his bill, and took street car for the
l g,
will continue to make that place his head
quarters until the close of the convention
in the event that the Business Mems Leagu
does not succeed in opening hotel for him
George Hill, national committeeman from
Tennessee, said last night that If hotel ac-
commodatons of a respectable character
were not procured for the colored delegates
from his state he would telegraph them
not to come to the convention
Some OF the members of the local commit
tee said that the whole matter would be
settled to the satisfaction of all the coIored
delegates All Of them, they said, would
be respectfully cared for and comfortably
housed and fed.
Those men who having trouble in
getting rooms for coloreu delegates haze
only themselves 20 blame" said :. NJ Ken
nard, president of the Business Mems
League today. When We got the con-
vention we pledged ourselves 10 take care
of the c1lcred men, and we are going to
do 1t. But those who waited until the
last minute will hava'to take what they
can get. SO long as it is clean and good.
w hlte men cannot get accommodates
at the hotels now. They al! filed for
the convention week. But we viii take
care of the colored men, as we said We
would
You may say positively" said Major
Rainwa ter, that We can get places for
the lodging and feeding of all the colored
delegates who apply. l know this ana can
show it, If Hill will come to me, which
he has not done, l will refer him to places
and good places. too. l do not care what
difficulties may stand in the way, the
pledges We made the national committee
when we asked for the convention, Will be
carried out to the letter
For weeks past l have bombarded the
national committeeman with letters and
kilograms asking them to let me arrange
for the accommodation of their delegates.
Especially did l pay attention to the
southerners, because 1 foresaw the diff
Guilty We might have in placing the negroes
at the last minute. Many of them did
not reply, and now they cannot get the
same quarters they might have secured
had they let US arrange 1t weeks ago.
But every one of them will have q good
place to sleep and plenty to eat. Dozens
OF restaurants will feed colored delegates
during convention week"
Arranging to Handle the Crowd.
Seregeant-at-Arms Byrnes and his first
assistant, G. N Wiswell of Milwaukee,
visited the convention auditorium today
and decided upon number of details, such
as the stationng Of inside doorkeepers and
assistant sergeants-at-arms and distribut-
ing the force of ushers and pages. Four
doCrkeepers will be stationed at every
door two outside to inspect the tickets as
the crowd passes through and two inside
to tear off the coupons. In this way the
crowd can be handled promptly. Each di-
vision Will have four ushers, and they are
to seat all con1ers, or, at least, inspect
their tickets. There are forty divisions in
the dress circle and gallery, making i force
there of 100 ushers.
The space for the delegates, altcrnates
national committeeman, newspaper work
ers and prominent guests has eleven divi-
slons, and each will be provided with four
uSherS. Then there will be small army
of pages and several hundred sergeants-a;-
arms.
Chief Harrigan has promised Col I8yrnes
a hundred nnljctfnpn wi hn will
DC ready to lend assistance If called upon.
they are to take no part in disputes until
requested to by one or more of the colonels
assistants. good many policemen will
probably be attired private citizens, and
known only to the convention officials and
employees. The work OF the decorator of
the auditorium is about finished. The por
traits Of Gen. Grant and Admiral Falragut
were put up yesterday.
The great naval commander will look
down On the members of the convention
from the gallery railing at the east end Of
the hall Directly opposite is portrait OF
Gen. Phil. Sheridan, representing the army.
The still greater leaders. Lincoln and
Grant, on the two sides, the first al
most directly over the speakers stand, and
Grant at the center of the south gallery
opposite. Higher than all, just above Lin
coin, is Washington. Each is surrounded
by American flags.
The absence of pictures and notices rep
reseEting leaders of the republican party
of today will be noticed. The omission was
intentional, the local committee having
been placed under restrictions in this mat
ter. The decorations will be all in place
before Wednesday evening, the time set
for the dedication of the building.
A fire company is on duty in the audi
toriunl, and will be after the convention.
The fire apparatus includes a chemical
engine, with capacity Of 160 gallons Of
water twelve shoulder Babcocks, 7c0 feet
Of hose attached to water plug at each
of the four corners of the building, and
number of ladders, hooks, axes, wire cut
ters ropes and buckets. The building has
also a fire alarm box, connected with the
central Office of the fire alarm department.
The American Telegraph and Telephone
Company will have two long-distance tele-
phones in service at the convention. Thir-
teen telephone wires in all will be run into
the building.
Bureau of Information.
General Coleman Of the bureau of in
formation is preparing a complete list of
all the houses and rooms that have been
registered with him forsthe accommodat ton
of strangers. This list he will submit to
Chief of Police Harrigan, in order that
the police may make a personal inspection
of each place
General Coleman has taken this action to
assure himself that no one coming to st.