Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-07-12
TELECRAPHIC.
SPECIAL TO THE REcoRD.uNIoN.
THE SITUATION AT WASHINGTON.
Particulars Of the Quarrel Between Doc
tors Bliss and Baxter.
THE woULD-BE ASSASSIN IN PRISON.
Proposed Day OF Thanksgiving for the
Presidents Recovery.
POSTAL CHANCES For The PACIFIC COAST.
Result OF the Recount Of Votes at Port
land, Oregon.
DOMESTIC NEWS.
The Doctors. Quarrel.


WASHINGTON, July 11th.-The true story
of the quarrel between DIS. Bliss and Baxter
is as follows: When Bliss reached the depot
he met the President, who said to him,
Bliss want you to take charge of me-
Nothing more was said about it during Sat
urday and Sunday Some fifteen or twenty
physicians volunteered their services, and
were present at the White House all day
Saturday, aud consulted with Or. Bliss.
Sunday morning, when the first crisis had
passed, DIR. Bliss went into the Presidents
room. Mrs. Garfield was at the time sitting
at the head of the bed. The doctor said,
"Mr. President. the time has now ,me
when there must be regularly organized
force about you, when something must
be done with the great number of
physicians who are here in attendance"
The President said, 'Dr. Bliss, as said to
you before at the depot, l desire you to take
charge OF my case" Mrs. Garfield also said
she wished him to be responsible for the Pres
ident. Then the doctor said, :" 1 wish you
would select three consulting physicians. l
would like that number" The President
said. i should prefer that you should select
them. / desire to leave everything to you,
and fetter you in no way" Mrs. Garfield
assented to this, and said, 81 Doctor, you may
be certain you will be absolutely in charge,
and shall be embarrassed in no way" DIR.
Bliss then selected the Surgeon-General of
the Army, DIR. Reyburn, because he is one Of
the mos. trustworthy, physicians in the
city and personal acquaintance of
the President, and DIR. Woodward, on
account of his eminence in pathology. The
President asked Bliss to see that the other
kind physicians should be politely thanked
for their kindness. DR.. Bliss then walked
out, and said to the gentlemen present that
there would be another consultation later in
the afternoon, expecting meanwhile to send
each note, telling them that their services
would no longer be required. Before the
consultation broke up DIR. Baxter made his
first appearance. He bad not been in the
White House all day Saturday, and had not
been in any of the consultations. He came
in, shook hands with DR.. Bliss, and asked
how the President was. DR.. Bliss said be
was doing very we'll. Then all the physicians
retired. Dr. Baxter said nothing all the
time About half an hour afterward
DIR. Bliss, DIR. Reyburn. DR.. Woodward
and a son of DIR. Bliss were seated
in the consulting. room engaged in CONVERSE
ton, when DIR. Baxter came in. He was
very much excited, and quite red in the face.
Somebody looked up and said, Hello, Bax.
ter, what is up now" DIR. Baxter advanced
to DIR. Bliss and said, ST want to see the
President" The doctor was overcome by
the impudencs of the demand, but said in q
quick manner. and wishing to avoid any ap-
psarance Of refusing his request, "The Presi-
dent is asleep now no one can see him at
present." intinating that he might see him at
another time. Then DR.. Baxter broke out
with, II demand to see him; he is my pa
tient. am his family physician. and you
have no right to keep me out OF his room"
The medical gentlemen present were SO
astonished at this extraordinary statement
that for a moment nothing was said.
Finally DIR. Bliss, who is o very energetic
man, said, .'I do not know anything about
your claims to be his family physician, but
one thing is fully certain, and that is that you
are not in charge; that you will not zee the
President, ard that you have 30 right here,
present" DIR. Baxter made some violent re.
marks at this stage of the proceedings, saying
it was an infamous outrage, the way he was
being treated, and it was the way Bliss
always treated medical men, and he did not
know how to treat them. DR.. Bliss said,
"You know very well you are not his
physician that you are a lobbyist, and
that you push your professional services,
just IS you doing now, regardless
of all shame and decency, saying nothing at
all about the commonest principles of medi.
cal etiquette. You force yourself upon the
attention of every official whose influence and
favor Won court. You are very ambitious
man, DIR. Baxter; you want to be Surgeon
General of the Army. You push every little
screw possible, but it is remotely probable
that you can ever do good thing" This
plain talk threw Baxter into perfect
paroxsysm of rage. He sprang to his feet
and shouted, " You lie." The conversation
up to this point had not been raised above a
conversational tone. DR.. Bliss arose to strike
at Baxter. Then he suddenly thought
where he was, and, calmly folding
his hands, said, you are no gentle
man. That fact, however" he continued,
"needs no demonstration. Your presence
here, and your conversation, and your
wretched claim at this grave time indicate
very clearly your character" At this yonng
DIR. Bliss said, Father, Let me attend to this
nan. l will put an end to this scene in a
minute" He walked huiriedly up to Baxter,
took hold of his collar and propelled him out
the consultation room. When Baxter had
President agreed to say nothing about the af-
fair. as it was not a pleasant episode to have
mentioned at 30 grave time. They argued
that il they said nothing about it DIR. Baxter
certaily would not; ; but he laid complaint
of his treatment before two Cabinet officers,
and so the affair got out.
Thanksgiving and Pral c.
COLUMBUS (O.), July 11th.-Governor Fos-
ter sent the following telegram to the Gov
ernors of States and Territories last night:
GOVERNORS offIcK, CoLUsBrs (o.), July 10th.
Ero George G. Pes kins Governor OF California: The
present indications strongly encourage the hope
that the President will recover from the effects OF
the horrible attempt upon his life. most respect
fully suggest that 1t would be most fitting for the
Governors of the several States and Territories to