National Republican., 1877-07-09
THE COMMISSIONERS, THE DOCTORS AND
THE SUNDAY HERALD.

We were still commiScrating the cruel |
fate of the Sunday HcrdH rs an advertising |
medium when our benevolent reflections |
were interrupted by an article in its last |
issue defending the District Commissioners
from Our recent animadversions
There seems to he no element of the Ter
tHlionis in our amiablc cotemporary's COM
position, and that it should apply the full
ness OF Christian charity to the bigotry of a
blue law is such ROLAND for an OLIVER as
passeth the understanding of man, unless
enlightenment is borrowed from the follow
ing anecdote:
A circuit rider one day met man pray
ing in the middle of the road. This cxhi
bition of piety was not only gratifying, hut
aroused curiosity and begot inquiry. what
are you doing?n asked the preacher. pray
ing for my enemy" said the man. Pray
ing for your enemy y the astonished divine
replied; what are you doing that for ?"
Don't the Bible say If you pray for your
enemy you heap Goals of fire on his head ="
Yes" Then" said the man, 81 want to
burn this d-n rascal up
BY strict and absurd adhesion to dead
law in its civil obligation, which they neces-
sarily ignore every day in its criminal appli-
cation, the authorities deprived our cOntem-
porary Of that pay and patronage which,
from its circulation and conduct to party, II
deserved to have. And rs there is no appa-
rent mott We for gratitude on the part of the
Herald, we presume that its defense of the
COMMISSIONER action is in the nature Of a
prayer for your enemy, where every peti-
tioning paragraph is to be regarded rs a
coal of fire" Indeed, an analysis of the
article in question justifes the inference.
We should desire to be understood as not
{ having intended to reflect upon the one gen.
l.Ia h.,
l before eight of his professional brethren for
| young gentleman" for which We apollo
A gize, and desire to say that we either mis-
: understood our informant chronologically,
e OF considered naturally from the insigniti-
cance of the position as u mere office and
the comparatively small salary attached,
' that it would have no attractions for an
r. elderly gentleman" of learned profession,
= since such one is presumed to move in a
: iar-ofr sphere and enjoy the satisfactory
y emoluments of an established practice.
= Nor did we enter into the biography Of
T. the new appointee. If we had in addition
e to the interesting facts of his birth and edu'
o cation in the District, we would not have
Y forgotten that he departed from our midst
n many years ago, and only came back to u'
u some months ago; also, that when the Com
,f by large body of long established pract
It TONERS, candidates of stronger claims thar
'e this gentleman were presented, with a
a strong, ii not stronger Endorsements.
l. The inst proposition Of our cotemporar,
" as the exponent of the economic views o
o. the Commissioners places these gentlemen
IN in an abnormal attitude.
Neither is it true that gratuitous publ,
il service is inexpensive" Surprising tina
III these gentlemen stand, like Cerberus, befor
ce the gates of the District treasury and in
is dorse this assumption, we are constrained +
IN address them in an interTogatoTy manner
l. which they will observe is seasoned wit
~ due Difference.
I'd III, Mr.. Commissioner, you should con
er tribute that varied and valuable experenc
he which You have gathered in China, Chicag
if and Cincinnati to the affairs of this littl
in District, without money, without pric'
he would you not be as inexpensive rs yo
h, would be patriotic? Presuming that you
Id devotion TO duty would not be affected b
IN u devotion to dollars, would you not b
he also Us efficient rs inexpensive? Supposin
Ie- your cOadjutoTs and subordinates shOul
m. catch spark of the same spirit; supposin
riT Mr. GATCHEL would illustrate the temcrit
MI of ignorance and plant his crop of foil
,es without charge, would he not be at lea.
IN an inexpensive cXcrescence on the munlc
pality? Suppose the Board of Healtl
to which battles so nobly with unseen foes
tes the shape OF pestilential odors, were
* decline the stipend which awaits the
on labors, would they not, too, be inexpensive
ere suppose clerks, contractors and sub-coI
lot tractors should enrol themselves into a
r. army OF municipal martyrs would not sue
in devOtees Of the District be inexpensive"
st The justification of the action Of the Cen
he missioners further says: That gratuitor
en- services are not constant, and expense e.
nal ters in another form; that it is not iu
lot to patients to he subjected TO change
for physicians" These propositions are as i
ia taken as the first The attention Of phy'
m, clans on private patients is never more co
he stunt than on hospital patients II he
il pita patient is very i'll he has the bcne
he ol au immediate and repeated, if not co
Ike tiuuous, consultation, under the scher
Iat proposed to and rejected by the Comm
bt- siDners, and which, as We said, is adopt