The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-01
DR. c, B. BRIGHAM
WAS NOT WANTED.
The Committee of the French
Society Is in Open
War.
+ A sCORCHING ADDRESS.
1t Takes in.the Physician and
Ex'President Sylvan
WE'LL.
Committeeman ARE ELECTED,
A Bitter Fight Has Split the French
Colony Into Two Aggressive
Factions.

the appointment OF Drs. Brigham and
Boyd, strong ma iority preferring to elect
Drs. de Maryille and Meyer, the president
of the Societe Franchise de Renaissance
Mutuelle, which is the French name for
the institution, declared himself there and
then as having resigned his office.
This gentleman, Sylvan WE'LL, who had
presided over the organization for very
many years, wanted the election of DR..
Brigham and, not getting it, stepped down
and out.
His action produced something OF a
diminutive ST. Louis cyclonic effect. OF
the fifteen committeeman who had voted
for DR.. De Marvile ten declared their vote
TO have been hastily given in moment of
thoughtlessness. They could not withdraw
it, however and in lieu OF that they fol-
lowed Pre- sident Wells precedent and
likewise res gned from the committee.
Subsequently SIX members who had re-
signed were prevailed upon to Withdraw
their resignation, but four committeeman
and the president refused to go back.
THESE nye had TO be replaced and wire
pulling has been strong for several weeks
TO get some men to offer themselves in
their place.
The election took place yesterday after
noon IN union-sauare Hall. The only
five candidates presented were elected.
They are j. B. Cote. Henri Fabreque,
Thomas Lacoste,s ]. B. Lartigau and DOM
Unique POlidori.
.. Bozio presided at the meeting and re-
fused to have the elections postponed so
that other candidates might be secured.
The object of those asking foI q post
ponement was to establls harmony and
perhaps get ex-Presldent We'll to recon
slider his resignation, whereupon 1t was
believed the others who had followed MIN
would resume their seats.
But Mr. BoZio, WHO was himself seated
comfortably, refused 10 hear any PROPOSE
lion tending to dethrone MIN, ana the
slate wen; through.
The fight in the French society has
been very bitter, and not only the 1000
members but the entire French popula-
ton OF the State IS interested.
The Petit Caiiiofnien, a semi-weekly
paper published here, has been very bitter
In It's attacks on the committeeman OF the
society," 1t has. called them The Solid
Nine and few other terms hardly to be
translated into English, and al which the
said nine have become angered.
AS one way of cleaning their skirts of
charges OF unfair and dishonest dealings,
these gentlemen felt it incumbent upon
themselves TO Issue an address, which was
published yesterday N LIE franco-Calltor-
MEN, the official daily French paper OF
this State, and in which they review the
situation regardless OF whose fingers they
rap. In consequence the French colony
has become greatly divided, and it was an
imposslbhty yesterday to bridge the
Ch2Sm. =
Svlvain WE'LL, the ex- presld ent of the
society, deprecates the address OF the COM
mIttee OF nine.
al is.not only iil-advised and calculated
OF ain
but in.one instance at least rank talsehood
has been INDUCED in to fortify statements
that are shgkyj 10 say the least. l aIlude
principally to the comparison OF the earn
ings OF Dr. Brigham and DR.. Meyer, and
the statements made in that connection"
TIE address Of the "soiid nine, trans
lated from the French reads as follows:
To the Members Of the French Mutual Benepolent
Society: We wouId prefer not rushing into
urinI whicti we consider as against our dig
nifty, but as calun1uies continue 10 be neaped
upon Us through that channel we oweIt 10 you
and ourselves TO enlighteH you.
We, nine mem bers OF the committee, are &C
cused Of having imposed an unmerited affront
on Dr. Brigham. We 90 mot: admit any hffront
has been inflicted. All we know IS that an
election oil physicians was held, and In the
course Of events some were elected and: others
defeated. But if IL is insisted: upon that an
affronf has been posed, gentlemen Of the
society, We are not the ones who are guilty OF
the deed.
q
tive Upon him repose the honor and dignity
as we'll as the. prestige OF the society. He more
than any other has as mission to properly
represent the executive committee. OF the
This committee, desiring to avoid any dis
agreeable surprises, believed 1t its duty TO in
form the president by its vote one week in ad-
vance that DR.. Brigham IN nst not be reelected.
The reasonable superstition was that the presi-
dent, representing the committee, would take
the necessary measures to avoid that physician
via
ayoidabie defeat. 1t was for that purpose only
that the ma jority OF the committee voted to
have the elections Tor specialist doctors post
poned for q week.
But why not re-elect DR.. Brigham?
Gentlemen OF the society, because right or
wrong we believed 1t TO the best interests of
the s0ciety's hospital to elect some other ply
sician This was not thought OF lightly. We
heard complaints and sought all possible in
formation from outgoing committeeman.
Seven OF the latter and TWO OF the present
committee were seen and heard on the subject
of the surgeon-in-chlet While rendering MIN
due honor as practitioner we were unanl-
nous that he was ali impossiblity in our insti-
tuition for many reasons, the principal ones OF
which are these:
people's means who were to be operated upon,
and many times this caused heated d1scus-
sions between him and the superintendent,
who al any price, wanted 10 retain ali paying
patients. But more than that we learned that
he wanted TO assume all authority in the hos
pital and through this desire he could agree
When he returned from Lake Tahoe he
learned of the good work of DR.. b. de Maryille,
who had taken up his position wnile he was
away. This work had been warmly received
and appreciated by the committee. DR.. Brig
ham resented this by behaving in such man
ner toward DR.. de Marville that the latter felt
obliged TO send in his resignation. May it be
said 10 the glory of the committee, the resig-
nation was not accepted By unanimous vote
the resignation was returned on account OF
the services rendered by DR.. de Marville and
others he was expected to render. Suisse
quently the surgeon-in-chief sought trouble
send in his resignation. Later he had trouble
with DR.. Villain.
No doctor in the hospital excepting DR.. Boyd
was aeceutable to him. We learned also that
he wa~ unsympathetic with the better element
OF the medical fraternity, and that they would
send Us few If any paying patients so long as
he was connected with the hospital.
1t would seem that he wanted to be at the
same time doctor, superintendent and COM
mittee.
Asy We be permitted, since re have to enter