National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-11-26
THE OTHER SIDE SPEAKS.
A Few Words in Favor OF General
Blnck.

Blncks
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICANS: Much
can be said relative to this question OF sick
ness in the departments that would place
the matter in an entirely different light
from what the physicians throw upon IL.
Said q veteran employe Of twenty years.
service to me few days since "This sick
business is entirely overdone Gil through
the government Offices. The death rate
is not in proportion TO the sick list There
should be more deaths or less sickness
Gen. Black has doubtless seen this aud
wants honesty in this as in other branches.
II is a well known fact that whatever time
is allowed to be lost with pay on account
OF sickness is generally worked In during
the year by q certain number Of the males
and females, be It thirty days or sixty, or
ninety, or one hundred. OF course the sym
pathy of the physician Is always with his
patient;this Is as II should be; but who Is to
guard the interest Of the office, II not its
head9 write this without the knowledge
or consent Of the assailed commissioner
but l credit him with honesty and
purity OF purpose In his require
ments as to medical certificates. The
pressing wants OF the thousands whose
cases are awaiting the slow process OF ad-
iudication, while they are sick and perhaps
starving, are of more Importance thau the
few imae mary pains and aches OF the we'll
paid and comfortably-housed clerks who
are in charge Of this work. That there is a
liberal amount OF "shammingn is only too
evident to anyone familiar with the service.
Let clerk who is absent on sick leave be
notified that on q certain day HIS tor herr
pay will stop, then witness the speedy re-
turn to health aud Office. This is an evil
that have seen great number OF commits
sioners and secretaries grapple with, but II
has generally been too much for them. In
the parlance Of the time, at is indeed o
cold dayn when the average clerk fails to
get In his usual allowance Of alleged sick
ness. Confronted face TO face with the
greatest abuse Of the service, is II any won
der that the head Of bureau Of 800 clerks,
himself hard worker, should try to eliml.
nate the real from the unreal disability
Would he be doing his DUTY II he did not
do thisp The business of his Office Is, per-
haps, with the neediest class OF people In
the country. What wonder, then, that he
At best, his position calls out
great deal Of criticism aud abuse, but
here he is so thoroughly correct in his
method and rightin his views that he should
he sustained in the position he has taken.
The physicians take the clerks side Of the
question, but who is to hold up the commits
sioner's sidep Certainly those who are
faithful and those whose work is entrusted
to his hands.
A feature thus far lost sight OF in oonuec-
ton with this subject is the fact that the
physicians certificate is oftener based upon
The statement of the patient than upon any
diagnosis OF the case, so that in this way the
physician is first imposed upon, and he
(innOcently, no doubt) IN turn imposes
upon the department. What wonder, then,
that conscientious officer should require,
as an additional safeguard against impo-
sition, the word Of the physician that the
disease alleged exists2 The increase OF the
efficiency Of the Office In question, as is
shown in Its unprecedented record OF work
accomplished, has only been secured by
vitall2ing its dormant forces, in exacting
honest labor from It's employees, and in sue
pressing In every way possible nll loss Of
time JUSTICE.