Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-10-29
DOCTORS ELECT
WHITE PRESIDENT |
Politics in Medical Society
Of Virginia Defeat
Darlington i
COMMITTEE IGNORED
COMMITTEE IGNORED
Executive Councils Choice Beaten on
The Floor of the Convention Afte,s
Bigeussion

Richmond, Oct. 2S.-Bringing to q
close the most sensational political
fight ever waged by opposing factions
in the Medical Society of Virginia,
DR.. Joseph A. White, of this city,
nominated on the floor in opposition
TO DR.. Charles v. Darlington, also OF
Richmond. who was recommended to-
3 the society by the nominating COM
mittee of the executive council, was
Yesterday afternoon elected president
of the society by majority Of more
than two to one. The vote stood 263I
for White and 106 fer Darlington.
The bitter contest between the two
Richmond physicians for the highest
honor within the gift of the Medical
Society of Virginia was altogether
unique in the annals of the society.
During the number of years in which
The responsibility of selecting the So
ciety's president has rested with it's,
representatives in the executive coun-
ell the choice of that committee has
never failed of ratification by the gen.
eral body. It's recommendation has
heretofore carried such weight as tc
make it equivalent to an election.
Nearly 400 physicians, augmented
by many women and nonnembers OF
the society, packed the auditorium OF
the Jefferson Hotel when the hour ar
rived for action on the annual recon-
mendations of the executive council.
p OF il6urs t!ie poiiiticll storm had been
brewing, and a tense quietness pre-
vailed while DR.. Thomas W. Murrell
read out other recommendations pre-
paratory to announcing the choice OF
the nominating committee for officers
of the society during the ensuing
year. :
With the announcement that Dr..
Darlington was recommended to: the
society for election to the
presidency, DR.. Frank w. Hancock.
of Norfolk, arose at once and, after
asserting the right of the society
under the constitution to elect whom
soever it pleased as officers, despite
the recommendation Of the committee
on nominations, placed the name OF
DIR. White before the house. The NOM
ination was warmly seconded by DR..
J. M. Burke, of Petersburg.
DR.. J. Shelton Horsley, of Rich
mond, then took the floor,> and in an
impassioned speech deplored the
sharp political division among the
members of the society.
,Dr. Mcclure Newton, member Of
the executive council, followed DR..
Horsley. 81 want to explain the un-
usual: situation" he said, "that de-
veioped in the council. Contrary, per-
haps; to the general belief, this game
of politics was injected long before
the sessions of this society began IN
Richmond found a systematic cam
naipn by mail and otherwise had been
in progress for months, and. desrous
that politics. should have no place
here, and knowing the eminent quail
fcations that Dr.. White possesses for
the position, | refused to concur III
the nomination of DR.. Darlington.
DR.. John N. Upshur, expressing
great friendship for both the rival
candidates, deplored the situation that
had arisen, and pleaded for support
of the councils recommendation IN
recognition of the principles OF tan
play and orderly procedure, for which
he said. the society has stood since
{ its inception. "Don't squeal," ne SAID
"because another man is a better po
litician than you are, and beware o.
Specious argument"
Prompted by the bitterness inject
ed into the election of president. DR.
]. Allison Hodges, introduced the fol
lowing resolution, to be acted upon b.
the executive council:
"Resolved, that section d, of articl
6. of the constitution, be so tmendet
that no member of the society, livin,
| in the place in which the society i
I holding its session, shall be eligibl
| to election to the office of presden
for a succeeding year.
Other nominations of the committe