The San Francisco call., 1896-02-02
GUARDSMEN ARE ANGRY.
Officers of the Defunct Third
Regiment Vote Blank
Ballots.
Members of the Nationals Say Their
Only Fault Was to Have
Majority.

There were sorry lot of National
Guardsmen assembled at the armory at
the corner of Cough and Page streets last
evening. They were representatives of
Companies A, E and H, which had just
reluctantly moved from their late quarters
at Tenth and Market streets.
Captain Coniey of Company A was
mournfully directing his men as they
CROPPED about with lanterns, no gas fixtures
having yet been erected, slowing away the
paraphernalia.
These three companies, all of the de-
funct Third Regiment, feel as if they were
being pursued by fate. As one of the
members remarked, ut looks as though
somebody is always trying to give us th e
worst of it"
At the election held in the armory of
the Nationals, on Ellis street, near Polk,
the companies in question feel that they
sustained an irreparable injury. Accord
ing to their story, ex-Captai John Tilden
had made arrangements with them to
have the members of the old Third Regi-
ment and the Nationals. vote for either
j. f. Smith or J. C. O'Conn or for lieuten-
ant-colonel. Either of these would have
been satisfactory to the members of The
late Third, but when they learned that
Illden was engineering his forces to elect
Victor Duboce, distinctly National can
didate, the Third rebelled. Ti,den then
told them, so they claim that their votes
were immaterial, as he could elect any
man he chose without them. An addi-
tional sting was added to this boast by the
fact that count of noses indicated that
he could make it good.
When the evening for the election ar
rived the officers of the Third, fifteen in
number, duly attended and cast their ball
lots, but when the returns were canvassed
fifteen ballots were found unmarked; and
these were the ballots cast by the officers
OF the Third. AS result Charles Tilden.
Charles Baxter and Captain MangeI were
elected majors and Duboce was elected
lieutenant-colonel with 20 votes out of a
possible 50, with no opposition. AT the
conclusion OF the election the victorious
Nationals invited the vanquished Third to
banquet. The scorn with which the in
vitatlon was rejected was not altogether
silent and free fight at one time looked
imminent.
The explanation of Captain E. C. Sutliffe
of Company G, which with Company G is
one of the companies known as the
Nationals, does not entirely accord with
the story as told by the officers of the
Third. "All is fair in war;" he said, land
the only thing they have to complain of is
we had more votes. There was no boast
made that we could elect any man we
wished. They said all they wanted was
their late major, Thomas brady, for major
OF the new regiment. There were three
vacancies to be filled. We made all three
nominations, Charles Tilden, Charles Box
ton and Thomas Drady, their man. On
the first ballot Tilden and Boxton each
received 20 votes and brady received 15.
Had they all voted for their man, he
rryf.r Il II
was he lacked three votes of receiving
enough to elect. Another ballot was re-
quired, and as they refused to vote for
their own man, we put up J. III. Mangel
and elected him. They did not nominate
any one for lieutenant-colonel, but in
sisted on ballot and then voted blanks. -
AS result OF the clash, several of the
officers of the ola Third, including Cap
tain Fitzpatrick of Company e, are said
to contemplate resigning.