The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-10
AFTER Or. WILLIAMS PLICi
The Fight for Surgeon-In- Chief
of Freedman's Hospital.
EXAMINATION NOW ORDERED
Secretary Bliss Directs the Civil
Service Commission to- Prepare an
Eligible List-Belief That He SIM
ply Wishes to Relieve Himself of
the Pressure of Applicants.

The Secretary of the Interior has directed
| the Civil Service Commission TO prepare
an examination for candidates for the po-
sition OF sureeon-in-chief OF Freedman S
Hospital, but whether this decision WAS
reached by Secretary Bliss simply to
relieve himself OF the pressure which has
been brought upon HIM during the last
week by the opponents OF Surgeon VIII
Hams, or he really conCemplates ma king a
change lii the management or the hospital
cannot as yet be learned The oracles of
the department.. are silent, and the usual
news sources are dumb
Secretary bliss today sent the request for
list of eligibles and this afternoon the
commission prepared an advertisement
which sets forth that the United States
Civil Service Commission VIII hold exanli-
nations at Washington and in other cities
where there are applicants, and in which
the commission has competent boards Of
examiners. The examination will begin at
8 a. M. on April 26, to secure list of
ciigibles for the position of surgeon-in-chief
of Freedman's Hospital at Washington, a
position which pays a salary of $4,000
per annum.
1nG VIII dUNefllSe Inat the
examination will be appropriate to test
the fitness of applicants. The applicant
will have TO stand examination in anat-
omy, surgery ,surgicalpathology, chemistry,
materia nledica, and Therapeutics, bac-
teriology and hygiene, obstetrics ard
gyncculogy. a credit will be given con-
testants for hospital services since grad
uation, and also for hospital manage
ment.
The Civil Service Commission will further
advertise that as il has been the practice
of the Department of the Interior to appoint
colored men to the position indicated, this
practice will be adhered to in this instance,
though any one who wishes TO may take
the examination.
The old fight, which was made on Surgeon
Williams by a certain element of colored
people in the District, reopened with
accelerated violence about week ago
DIR. Purvis, whom Williams was appointed
to succeed ny Secretary Hoke Smith, called
at the department and presented his case.
IL was not long before flood of colored
callers began TO inundate the office of
Secretary Bliss.
They wanted to take the examination
or to do anything to GUST Williams. DIR.
Purvis presented the fact that he was a
veteran. The friends of Williams say that
PUrvis has no war record; that he was
never out of Washington during the civil
strife, and that the only military service
he saw was in doctoring contrabands in
this city.
The Department of the Interior has ex-
pressed the belief that Williams is "A very
competent man for the position, and
few days ago indicated that no change
was imminent. 1t was said at the de-
partment today by an unofficial tongue
that the advertisement for eligibles for
the position had no other significance
than that the Secretary wanted to rid
himself of the stream of callers who
came bent upon this mission.
Much OF the opposition manifested by the
colored people against Williams is THAT
he is too white while some of the oppo-
sition against Z jarvis is based on the charge |
that he has a white wife and that his |
children are attending white school in !
Philadelphia. How true or low weighty |
these charges are is not known outside of |
the office of the Secretary of tie Interior. |