Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-15
1a1lcdster fnteIIqenrer.
THuRsDAY EVENING. SEPT. is, 1881
Doctors rs Pumps.

Doctors as Pumps.
When those Washington doctors were
sent home from Long Branch, people
wondered why three should be taken and
oneleft and that one Bliss, whom along
suffering country would dearly have
heard from no more. But Bliss had
use. Bliss is the reporters friend. They
can pump him at any and all times. If
it wasn't for what Bliss says they would
not have much themselves to say and it
seems to he felt by the executive
council about the president that the pub
lie has a great appetite for news that
will be satisfied by any kind Of quality,
80 that the quantity is great. That is no
doubt a correct estimate of the reporters
appetite, though it is doubtful whether
the public is as well pleased to read long
strings of stuff with nothing of value in
it, as the reporter and the newspaper are
to provide it. Newspapers should know
their business; and presumably when
they for nearly three months steadily and
daily print what Bliss says, notwithstand-
ing nearly every time the next days say
is different, they know what their read
ers want. If so We must conclude that
the majority of the people like to be hum
bugged and trifled with, and we must ap-
plaud the sagacity which has discovered
and utilized the distinguished capacity of
DR.. Bliss as a never-failing cucumber,
well which may he vigorously and all
the time pumped by the reporters and
never omit to yield them a column of
words. This is the Office of DIR. Bliss.
He fills it well. He never is without an
opinion that he is willing to confess and
a prognostication that is rs hopeful as
the circumstances Will permit. Even
while his Washington associates were
with him Bliss was the best pump. Rey-
burn did pretty we'll and Woodward was
not very slow, but Barnes was seldom
heard from. As only one old Oaken
bucket was needed Bliss, who was easily
chief, was kept {; and that explains the
disruption of the quartet.
Agnew won't talk and Hamilton
don't like to they being the working
members of the professional group are
relieved by the ornamental and COM
municative Bliss {; and Il very excellent
arrangement it is so far. But we pro-
test that the working doctors carry their
reticence a little too far. They don't
seem to talk even to Bliss. They don't
appear to tell him much which is ap-
parent from the fact that he gets his
stories so crooked. Seemingly he don't
know much for he would hardly de-
liberatcly say so many things that he has
to unsay and conceal SO many things
that finally leak out, if he knew any bet
ter. He would not willingly make him.
self so ridiculous.
Seriously, have we not reason to com .
plain of the information sent Oat to us
from the presidents $ bedside2 The only
reliable statements we have had have
been those furnished by Secretary Blaine e
to the English minister, which have
been notably concise and accurate ac-
count of existing conditions; Mr.. Mac
Veaglr does not succeed SO we'll as the
secretary i'll getting the meat into his
cablegrams. The official bulletins, which
ought to be entirely reliable, have not
merited that distinction, because they
have not been entirely frank. At the
outset when the Washington quartet
signed them they were painfully partic-
ular in insignificant details and now,
when better names attest them, they do
not, we find, divulge important symp-
toms rs they occur notable instance
is the fact that the lung trouble was not
alluded to in them until some time after
there had been an outside rumor of it and
then it was coolly referred to as though
everyone knew all about it. The people
know that the president is desperately
i'll, and the doctors cOncealments only
make them faithless OF the doctors
hopes.