The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-25
Their Annual Convention Being
Held in Portland.
WANT MAINE MEDICAL LAW RE-
PEALED.
Inc society Members Transact PreIimi-
nary Business, Elect Officers and Lis
ten TO Addresses-A Boston Physician
iaiks of Professional Freedom.

ialks of Professional Freedom.
Inc Eclectic Medical society of Maine is
noiding its thirty third annual meeting
in 'nls city. Its headquarters were estab-
ilsheo at the Preble house, yesterday
morning, and at ten O'Clock the business
session opened, with DR.. Henry Reny of
blooeford in the chair. Owing to the I'M
pleasant weather, the attendance was not
up to the usual standard. Among the
guests III attendance were DR.. Thomas A.
bland OF Boston. recently of Washington,
ana LIZ. stephen B. Mum of Waterbury,
Conn.,, two of the most prominent eclectic
in the country. DIR. Bland is
president OF the Eclectic Medical society
OF the District of Columbia, and a mem
Der OF the faculty of the independent
Medical college of Chicago.
These officers of the society were in at
tendance: President Henry Reny. Bidde-
ford; Vice President George Inherit
Weeks, Richmond; Corresponding Score
tary William Collins Hatch, New Sharon: ;
Recording Secretary Josiah L. Wright.
Durham; Treasurer 7. j. Batohelder.
Machias; Councillors Algernon Fossett Of
Portland and Josiah L. Wright of Dur.
ham.
The greater part of the forenoon was
devoted to preliminary business. The re-
port Of the treasurer showed that all the
society's bills are paid and surplus re-
mains in the treasury. These officers
were elected for the ensuing year:
President-Josiah L. Wright, Durham.
Vice President-George A. Weeks, Rich
mond.
Recording Secrteary-Henry Reny, Bid
deford.
Corresponding Secretary-William c.
Hatch, New Sharon.
Treasurer-Theopi j. Batohelder,
Machias.
Librarian Emma Frances Marble,
|, Gardiner.
Observation-Disclosures Fossett, Port.
(dand; William G. Hatch, New Sharon;
Henry Reny, Biddeford.
b The first address of the session was de-
livered by DR.. Bland of Boston, on the
subject, Freedom is Essential to
Progress He took exceptions to all
legislation which restricts medical
practice. In the course of his address he
said: The people of your state were con-
tent to be free in the choice of physicians,
and all physicians who had confidence in
their own ability to compete with others
in curing the sick were satisfied with
their condition. especially if they believed
in the doctrine of equal rights to all,
special privileges to none. But those
doctors who do not sympathize with the
American doctrine of equal rights, and
those who dare not rely upon their own
merits as physicians to secure them a
living, want laws passed to give them
a legal advantage over others.
"Our forefathers rebelled successfully
against king rule, and founded govern
ment upon equal rights to all, special
privilege to none. There were those who
| opposed the principles of democracy, and
defended those of monarchy in the times
that tried mems souls. = They were over
powered, but not convinced. Those Tories
Of the Revolutionary era have never failed
Of successors in this country, who if they
cannot restore the rule of kings, are
determined to establish despotlsm of
rings
Medical rings are among the most
active, persistent and dangerous to
liberty and progress of any institutions of
the ring genus with which we are called
upon to deal.''
Drs. Batchelder, Wright and others
spoke in the same general line, being
especially vehement in their opposition to
the Maine medical registration law. The
society voted to use its every endeavor
to secure repeal Of that law. and to
employ legal counsel with that end in
view.
The meeting today will be merged into
the annual convention of the New Eng
| land E01ootio