The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-14

by Senator Mushbach. The name of the
writer was Withheld until il had been
| urgently demanded when it was rcluc-
family revealed. and was thus discovered
% be that Of Or. Hunter Mcclure, presi-
dent Of the College Of Physicians and
/ Surgeons now called the University Col
/ lege Of Medicine, Of this city:
Hunter Mcclure 513 east Grace.
Richmond March I. 1894.
"NIy Dear Senator: ] see from the
papers that the Finance Committee OF
the Senate and the House have advised
| the appropriation OF 5000 to the Medical
| College Of Virginia. No sick poor are 10
be cared for with this money, or poor men
| 10 be educated, but this sum IS TO go to
n dozen doctors and added 10 the fees they
now get from their class. This college has
already 100000 Of State property and
/ pays no rent or tax.
4 "The Senate Finance Committee de-
clined. as you know. 20 help the sick poor
| OF the state by small appropriation but
now can give 5000 10 help the salaries
/ Of ten or twelve Richmond physicians.
/ Cover 1T up by words in any way you
please it simply amounts TO this. Can't
| YOU stop it? Very truly yours,
"HUNTER MCGUIRE.
! "Hon. George a. Mushbach.
| up S-One per cent. on the value OF
the buildings, or five hundred dollars am
piv covers insurance and repairs. accord
| Ing 90 AN real estate agents. and this the
college should bear Themselves.
DIR. Mcclure has now had ample time
| for making some kind of explanation OF
/ this unbec0ming and unprovoked treat
rnent of us but his silence forces Us 10
notice it,
We believe that an assault Of this
| character. delivered i'm such fashion, Is
| altogether unprecedented in the dealings
| of one institution Of learning with am
other Whatever of truth there is IN Dr.
McGuire's letter is most dsingenuousy
presented, while some Of the statements
! are not only contrary to the fact but
I'm our opinion. DR.. Mcclure is in
/ condition TO know that they are contrary
TO the fact, since he was for many years
! a member of the faculty Of the Modi-
! cal College of Virginia, and consequently
was aware of the disposition which was
made Of the States appropriations. We
/ have long been cOgnizant OF DR. Nc
! Cures hostility to the Medical College
| Of Virginia, and have heretofore from
time to time caught giimpses Of his hid
den hand" We have had experience Of
! his methods of warfare and are there
| fore not surprised that he should perpe-
| trate an act Of which we are sure his
own fair-minded colleagues feel ashamed.
| Every friend of his. while making fun
| allowance for the rage and humiliation
| naturally arising from his inability 20
| divert the bounty of the State from its
own institutions TO his private school.
! must regret that he could not conceal
| his feelings. or, at least. that he did
| not DISPLAY them in manner more cred
| table TO one in his position.
The part of this letter which is the
most unjust 10 us, and which we con-
slider 10 be the most deserving OF our
enecial notice. is that which alleges that
the sum appropriated lis TO go 10
dozen doctors and added 10 the fees they
nov. get from their class" We emphat-
callv deny that this is so. Lest any
candid and sincere person might ignO-
rantly surmise what the unca did and
insincere Dr. Mcclure so audaciously
asserts. our Dean. in his conference with
the Finance Committee. explicitly assured
it's members that not one cent of il
would be used TO pay the professors
fees.
Even with respect 10 the indirect ad-
vantages which may come from this APP
preparation. IL can no more be truth
folly said that the 5000 Will help tho
salaries OF our ten or twelve Richmond
physicians" than that the $1,000 which
Or Mcclure did his best and his worst
90 get would have helped the salaries
Of him and his ten or twelve Richmond
physicians.
The truth is that in accordance with
| tradition and custom. III not with law,
tho State appropriations have been de-
voted solely TO the maintenance OF the
college and not Of the professors. Or.
Mcclure knows this and we will venture
to assert that even when he was one
Of our professors this money was not
diverted from this purpose Evidently
dol f..,,o ha
made for the college Is absolutely the
property Of the State, and should there
fore be cared for by the State. and. in
fact they have been made annually ever
since the war: nor did DR.. Mcclure ever
detect any improperly in them as long
as he himself connected with the
institution.
In reply 20 the assertion that mo sick
poor are 10 be cared for. or Loor men
educated" with this money. 1t is sufficient
t. point out that the sum is not large
| enough TO enable us to do all that we
| might wish to do. and that its use must
| be restricted TO the purposes for which
IL was asked and granted. nevertheless
We are able TO say that numbers or SICK
poor have been and are now being cared
for in our hospital. and, moreover. that
they are cared for, not at the expense or
| the people OF the State nor Of the charita-
BILE ladies and gentlemen of Richmond, but
| al the expense of ourselves as individuals.
| We may now safely leave the conduct OF
| DR. Mcclure In this matter To the judS-
ment OF all unbiased persons. We leave
| Dr. Mcclure himself to digest the NOR
| uhcation he feels az he realizes that he
has done a most discreditabe thing. and
that he has done IT so bunglngly rs TO
| be caught In the act and that after all
he has ANONYMOUSLY failed to accom-
| plish the object for which the discredita-
| bic thing was done.
| THE FACULTY OF THE MEDICAL
| COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA