The San Francisco call., 1896-04-30
THEY RESIGNED
BY WHOLESALE.
Surprises at the French
Benevolent Society
Election.
WE'LL WAS DISGUSTED.
Besides the President Nine Di.
rectors Gave Up Their
Portfolios.
NEW SURGEON AND SPECIALIST
De Marville and Mayer Borne to
Victory on a Tidal Wave
of Excit ment.
NEW SURGEON AND SPECIALIST

The spirit of unrest of the French Min.
1stry flashed over from the home country
as by heliograph, intensified by the 5000
miles traversed, could not have raised
more "Cain'' than the proceedings of the
meeting of the Societe Francaise de Bien-
faisance Mutuelle, held last evening at 31S
Post street.
This is the greatest organization the
French have on this coast, numbering
nearly 4000 members on its roll and it has
been in existence for more than thirty
years.
AS the name would indicate it is purely
benevolent association, the benefits OF
which are principally the subscribers or
members privileges to enjoy the use of
the French Hospital or to have its visiting
physicians call at their domicile.
Quite recently-not over three weeks
ago-an election was held by the members
to select an executive committee of fifteen
members and resident as well as visiting
physicians.
The bylaws of the society require that
all candidates must receive majority OF
the votes cast to be elected, and OF this
proposition a rock. was struck which is
likely to shake the entire institution to
such an extent that younger and more ener-
getic timber will have TO be put into it TO
save it from destruction.
Drs. 6. Gross and Bourgougnon de Mar
vile, two highly esteemed and capable
physicians, were in opposition for the post
of visiting physician.
DIR. Gross had held the office for nearly
dozen years and de Marvile, who is
comparatively new man in this country
and with the society, made no effort to
secure election. He polled heavy vote,
however. TO be sure 1t was not enough
to elect him, but it crippled DR.. Gross
vote considerably. The latter was de-
clared elected, but one of the de Marville
faction noticing that Gross vote did not
show majority of those cast demurred to
his taking Office.
This strange state of affairs came about
IN .his wise: There were 555 votes cast,
the majority required being 278 votes
Gross got only 273 owing to the fact that
67 votes cast on the total were declared
illegal by the election board.
To test whether DR.. Gross is entitled to
his seat the matter was recently brought
up before Judge Slack, and is to be neard
on May 4.
This friction was but an opening to last
nights shake up.
bers were in session to select resident
surgeon for the hospital, position which
has been held for number of terms by
DIR. Charles Brigham. 1t was a pretty
well understood thing that he would be
reelected, when the bombshell exploded.
Brgham's friends were not prompt
enough to close the nominations, and
some one blurted out:
II place DIR. Bourgougnon de Marville
in nomination"
The move caught on like feather to
muddy stick. The young physicians
popularity and the fact that he was known
to be satisfactory candidate to manv of
AZ fha1 1ook oil l,a1 i
to the front.
The vote was cost and, to the consterna-
ton of President Sylvan WE'LL, and, in
fact, of some of the others, De Marville
was elected on the first ballot.
There was an immediate hubbub and
motion for reconsideration, which was sat
upon.
President WE'LL, the strongest supporter
of DR.. Bryham, felt quite sore and was not
backward in expressing his sorrow that
such an old practitioner and servant of
the society had been voted out
But this was not all. The last straw fol-
lowed soon after. DR.. Samuel Boyd came
specialist. But the eruptions had not
ceased. Somebody again, in spirit of
fun or contradiction, placed Dr.. Oscar ].
Mayer in nomination, and he was carried
to victory on the tidal-wave.
''Ca c'est trop fort!" exclaimed Presi-
dent We1ll, rising TO the occasion. linen.
hesitating few seconds and viewing the
assem- blage. he remarked:
Gentlemen, l herewith desire to pre-
sent my resignation as president and as
director of the Societe Francaise de Bien-
faisance Mutuelle."
The levity and gibes indulged in prior to
this were bushed. Each member realized
the loss the society was incurring ana
protests innumerable were heard on all
sides, but Mr.. WE'LL would not withdraw
his resignation.
AT this juncture the strangest of
all things occurred. One after the other
ten members of the directory, eight of
whom had voted for the candidates who
were Objectionable to Mr. WE'LL, jumped
up and like so many firecrackers snapped
out their respective resignations. The
scene was a lively one, and when it was
all over the dazed members grouped in
twos and threes to discuss results.
AS the matter stands the president and
Secretary ]. Deschamps are out and there
is no one to call the next general meeting,
which alone can replace them.
The only four members left in the di-
rectory out of fifteen are:
P. Carnes, j. Berger, c. a. Lemoine and
L. Bocqueraz.
Those who resigned besides President
WeilI are: 1. Culnin, E. Messenger, J.
Deschamps, o. Bozio, L. Carraine, f.
Fagothey, F. Queyrel F. A. Bergerot, M.
Roos and A. Ortion.