The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-02

A Social Club Of Colored People
Will Back the Suit Against
Adolph Sutro.
Superintendent Harrison Says He Has
No knowledge of the Alleged
Refusal.


baths, when seen yesterday in regard to
the suit brought by the colored man. John
Harris. against Adolpn Sutro for $4,000
because he was refused the privilege of
bath in the big establishment out at the
ocean beach, said that neither he (Harri-
rison) MOI any one else in authority there
knew anything about the alleged refusal
till they saw the story published in THE
CALL. If any one under Harrison had
prevented the negro from going into the
water he says the matter would have been
reported to him, but neither the ticket
sellers at the door nor any of his assist
ants at The baths have any knowledge OF
the affair.
Negroes" he said, $50 long as they are
sober and we'll behaved are allowed to en-
ter the baths as spectators, but are not
permitted to go Ill the water. 1t is not
matter of personal feeling with US but of
business necessity. IL would ruin our
uaths here because the white people would
refuse TO use them if the negroes were al
lowed equal privileges in that way. No one
could in equity expect us to make such a
sacrifice. | d o not think such a case could
ever De won against us. Public sentiment
would he too strongly in opposition for
am law TO force such commipgling of
the white and colored races. | do not be-
lieve the case will ever come to trial.
Some of the young men in the bath,
continued he, might have told the col
ored man he could not go in and no APP
peal have been made to the superintend-
ent. If he had applied to me" said Har-
rlson, 1.-The money he claims to have paid
for his ticket would have been prom pity
refunded"
As to the motive of the application for
a bath and the suit Harrison could guess
. han oil m "a q
baen intended as test case, as no such
question has ever come up here before, or
1t may have been prompted In spite by
some enemy Of Mr.. Sutro. Never since
the baths were opened in March, 1896, has
q colored person tempted to mIngle
with the whites in the water. noticed III
the papers a short time ago that the
Grand Army of the Republic had consid-
cred this question of mingling with the
negroes and had decided that socially
they could not expect to be with the
whites. / think this decision would ap-
ply to bathing together"
Adolph Sutro's son, Edgar Sutro, when
seen in regard to Harris suit, said he
knew nothing of either it or the refusal to
let him battle until ne read it in The CALL.
He did not wish 10 be quoted as to his
opinion of the result of the suit. He was
confident that it would be ruinous TO al
low negroes in the baths, because the
white eople would be unwilling to min
gle with them. There were not colored
people enough here to justly separate
baths for them on large scale, ana he
could see no remedy. He did not antici-
pate much trouble from the following up
of this attempt to get in, because he be-
lieyed the influential and better class of
colo-ed people recognized the correctness
of the present arrangements, and had no
wish TO force themselv into mingling
49, III ha7 rrh jfaS
wish it.
The Assembly Club, which is social
organization, comprising mem bership OF
165 of the better class of colored people in
this City, is very much interested in the
suit, and is prepared as body to back up
with financial aid and all their influence
either this case or any other brought by
negro to test the rights of their race in
this matter.
A. l.. Dennis, president of this club, said
last night that the social organization of
which he Is the head had been largely in
strumental In securing the passage OF the
civil rights bill in the last Legislature,
known as the Dibble b Ii. They had
fund set apart for that special purpose.
Therefore they are much interested In
having the new law brought to proof
The bill was to have become operative
in sixty days after passage and since
A pri 30 it has been the law of California
that no railways, hotels, restaurants, bar
ber-shops, lighthouses and other like insti-
tutions licensed to serve the public shall
discriminate against any we'll behaved
citizen, no matter what his color.
The Assembly Club appointed a civil
rights com mittee to work for the passage
of the Dibble bill, and when it became a
law they adjourned not 10 meet again till
test case was made under the law, but
were TO 20 to work ass sting it in securing
50 descriptions and otherwise. Tie ma
chinery therefore is all ready for an or
ganized effort to make the bill effective.
The club does not know John Harris
and has had no hand in bringing or sug-
costing the suit But the personality of
the man makes no difference, as they will
work for the prin ciple of the thing. They
deprecate any suit brought from a merce-
nary motive and aim only to secure recog-
milton of equal rights for their race.