The times., 1898-12-20
Howard University Cham
pions Given a Hearing.
THE NEW HOSPITAL BILL
An Effort to Save the Freedmen's Medical
SchoOl-President Rankin's Address-A
Denial of Certain Statements = Other
Speakers Heard ON the Matter-The Dis
trict Commissioners Recommendation.

by the District Commissioners yesterday
on the bill recently introduced in the Sem
ate by Senator Mcmillan, providing for
the establishment of Il municipal hos
pital. The hearing was begun at IL
o'clock and was granted at the request
of DIR. Robert Reyburn, who wrote to the
Commissioners last week. opposing the
bill on behalf of the university officials.
The Rev. DIR. ]. E. Rankin, president
of the Howard University; DR.. Robert
Reyburn, DIR. Charles B. Purvis, and DR..
f. ]. Shadd, of the medical faculty of the
institution, and the Rev. DR.. Teunis S.
Hamlin. pastor of the Church of the
Covenant, were present at the hearing.
DR.. Rankin was the first to speak. He
said in part:
THE authorities of the university are
satisfied that the economy of Freed
mems Hospital is the best one practicable
for both races. There can be no fair and
equitable treatment of colored citizens.
except upon this basis. Under muni-
cipai system, if Freedmen's Hospital
We're embraced in il. the medical depart
men of Howard University would be en-
N'biNu " pitNioNis AAic iNN'S'fN.S.
as that accorded to the same department
In institution where colored students
are not admitted, and where colored men
are not admitted as instructors. The
white wards should be as really the legiti-
mate ground of study to the colored man,
as the colored ward. Colored physicians
must demand the same recognition as
white men. That may be promised u.s.
Does any reasonable man suppose we
shall get it? We believe that to be wholly
impracticable. We believe the weaker
party will be driven to the wall: that
all competitive advancement of the col
ored people in such an institution Will
be directly or indirectly resisted by the
whites We may as well look that fact
in the face. In Freedmen's Hospital
there Is no such competition, though not
few of our students have been whites.
las to the Importance of F'reedmen's
Hospital to the success of the medical
department of Howard University let ne
say one word Certainly it is fuGdamen-
tally important. Government could not
strike more direct or fatal blow at our
medical department than by abolishing
Freedmen's Hospital. All the advocates
of the Municipal Hospital, if the system
should embrace Freedmen's Hospital as
a colored ward, or imply the destruction
of it, admit this. They mean 1t. To them
IL is only the cold and unfeeling carrying
out of a municipal economy. To us, II
is the destruction of a department of the
university, virtually founded by the Gov
ernment, and now, with the exception OF
the medical department, almost wholly
supported by the Government. Through
Howard University the Government
makes an effort to give 100000 of people
help to become good citizens. Instead of
getting income from it, we pay out Of
our treasury nearly S1,Oe0 a year toward
the support of the medical department.
Such men as former Commissioner John
Eaton, President Il. NJ Gallaudet, DR.. 7.
S. Hamlin, the Rev. DR.. NJ. E. Strictly of
New York are our trustees; such men as
Senators Allison and Hoar, Representa-
tives Sayers and Grout are our honorary
board. Imputations against the fairness
of our dealings with the Government have
been indiscriminately thrown out. We
have only asked what was denominated
in the bond. AS president of the univer-
sity I challenge the truth of all such i'm
putations. Our treatment of the Govern
ment has been honorable and generous
the treatment of son to his mother.
Howard University does not appear here
as remonstrant against the municipal
hospital system proposed, but wishes to
give some reasons why, in her Judgment,
Freedmen's Hospital may wisely be
omitted from thi1 system. II is mainly
colored institution. 1t is for the ac-
commoda ton of colored inmates, not as
individuals merely, which is not excep-
tionai now, but in numbers. There are
no pay patients among them. Nor is
there likely to be. 1t is to the poor that
il mainly ministers. 1t is the only insti-
tuition in the District, with its .0,000 col
ored people, where a colored man or
woman can secure clinical instruction:
| where a colored woman can secure train
ing as nurse: where colored physician
is recognized as belonging to the medi-
cal profession.
Now, 10000 citizens of the District are
yitally interested in the welfare of the
medical department of Howard Univer-
sity; nay, the seven millions of colored
people in all the land. Not less than
1000 have graduated in this department
and are scattered all over the West and
Southwest.
"A recommendation of the Joint Com
mittee was that Freedmen's Hospital be
turned over TO the authorities of Howard
University. Why that has been stricken
out / do not know. Give us one third
less than you last year expended upon it
and the university will take II. Much
criticism has been made upon the condi-
tlOli VI tic pCicNt Is
mostly unjust, and even sometimes
calumnies. But, If true, 1t only reflects
upon the Government, that has leased
them of the university for so many years,
and has been under contract OBJ igation
to keep them in repair. But they have
long served good purpose, and they will
do 1t still For their improvement the
university has during the last five years
expended not less than 10000; all of it
for the good of the hospital no less than
that of the medical department. The
last expenditure is now scarcely complet-
ed and is to accommodate the Nurses
| Training School.
Gentlemen Commissioners: I am cred
| IDLY informed that there are today not less
| than 50. COO 900 in the United States Treas
ury belonging to dead soldiers who laid
down their lives for you and ME in the
civil war. Their graves are not often
sprinkled with flowers. They were of the
same stuff as those colored troops COM
manded by Joe Wheeler, who gallantly
saved the day when our Rough Riders
were hard beset at San Juan and Ell Ca
ney; some of them, perhaps. children of
the first class. My plea is, that generous
Government erect suitable hospital
building or buildings on the grounds of
the Freedmen's Hospital out of those dead
mems bounties, that thus may be recog-
nized a sacred but unpaid debt; that hon
est men dead may have their dues, and
that honest men and women living may
be helped to fit themselves as physicians
and surgeons and nurses to care for the
thronging millions of African origin. Give
us the money you will expend on your
proposed 'colored ward and do not pull
out the underpinning of a. department
which for a generation we have tried TO
rear against bitter prejudice - t'rf --