The Washington bee., 1897-02-06
DR.. JOHN R. FRANCIS ON THE
HOSPITAL.
HIS MANLY LETTER TO SENATOR
M'MILLAN - IMPORTANT SUCCESS
TIONS THAT SHOULD BE CON-
SlDERED-NOTHING PER-
SONAL IN HIS LETTER

Relative toithe bill on Freedmen's S
Hospital recently offered in the U. S.
Senate, DR.. Francis, under date Of
Jan. rs, 1897, has addressed letter to
Senator Mcmillan, in which he says:
Nv attention has been called to a
bill recently offered by you in Con-
gress, by which 1t is proposed to place
the control of Freedmen's Hospital Of
this CITY under a board of managers
AS a citizen of this community | wish
to thank you for this most commend
able effort, meaning, as it does, home
rule for the people of the District of
Columbia; the protection of valuable
and most worthy charitable instltu-
ton; a most fertile educ ational field;
and, in fact, the only institution of its
character where, without distinction,
on account of race or color, the doors
are thrown wide open to all suffering
humanity that presents itself for SClen-
tihc treatment and where, on equal
terms, are received all of those persons
who apply for training along profess
SiOnal lines.
The cont ibutiCn, by the present ad-
miniStration, of this institution to the
list of others of local interee. already
sacrificed to the spoils sys 'em of pay
ing off political debts throughout the
country, establishes a precedent that
can but eventually work material in
Jury to its usefulness.
The reported recent development of
civil service methods at Freedmen S
Hospital cannot possibly serve any
good purpose. The institution is one
of special legislation, and serves to
bring about special benefits. Civi SER
vice can but do away with its intended
special field of usefulness by permit
ting and encouraging the services of
persons who are utterly devoid of the
professional ability, practical expert
ence and sympathy necessary to the
proper and successful conduct OF It's
charitable and educational feature in
the interest of the class of people for
which it is intended.
The suggestion to abolish Offices and
reduce salaries is such an astonishing
quiet, sober thought that | am quite
sure our legislators will give it. The
idea Immediately presents itself that
such reduction in both salaries and
numbers of fairly paid officials.
regardless of their official de
ignation, can but mean infei
rior service in an institution
of the magnitude and character of
Freedmen's Hospital, and the sacri-
fee of its intended humane work to
the development of an educational
I, system that was never intended by leg
iSlation, AID which should be encour-
aged only as far as it would subserve
the best interests of the suffering hu-
manity found within its doors. The
training of young men and women
along the professional lines of surgery
and nursing should be permitted only
as a matter of secondary importance
in a large hospital. The reduction of
salaries to the extent suggested could
but prevent the acceptance of the inn
portant official positions by persons of
the professional ability and practical
experience guaranteed by legislation
to the inmates.
Permit me again to say to you that
the friends of Freedmen'S Hospital
and of the District of Columbia are
ready to give you their most earnest
support in your laudable effort to save
this institution from the tampering of
political distribution and schemes
which could be hidden under the cloak
of civil service, and to return it to the
control or those in whose hands it is
intended to be, and correctly SO; those
who will extract from the opportuni-
ties there presented the very best re-
suits; first, in the relief of suffering
humanity; second, in the proper train
ing, along the professional lines of
medicine and nursing, of the capable
young men and women who are con-
Stantly applying to Howard University
for such.
hope that you will succ ed in saw
ing to a struggling, but helpless, class
of citizens, this one of their very few
institutions for good, am, with much
gratitude,
Yours respectfully,
~