The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-14
union LEAGUE ELECTION.
Contest for the Presidency of the
Club Takes Place
To-Day.
A LARGE VOTE PROMISED.
George A. Stone Brought Forward to
Dispute General Friedrich's
Promotion.
A LARGE VOTE PROMISED.

The annual election of officers for the
Union League Club will take place to-day.
The voting will begin at l P. NJ. ard close
at P. NJ. Since the regular ticket and the
members ticket were published in THE
CALL few DAYS ago General w. H.
Dimond has announced that he is not
candidate for president of the club. No
doubt there was design upon the part of
certain members of the organization to
use General Dimond's popularity to divide
the strength of General Friedrich's forces,
but when General Dimond saw the situa-
ton in its true light he would not consent
to stand as the exponent of the faction
which proposed to cast aside an honored
custom of the club in order to deprive
General Friedrich of promotion from the
first presidency to the Office of presi-
dent.
The opponents of General Fiederich, con-
s1stlng of few eX-Federal office holders ard
two or three National Guard staff officers,
have changed front now and resorted to the
tactics OF introducing a third ticket to
compllcate the voting, and have rallied
around Colonel George a. Stone, one of
General Sheehan's directors of the Peo-
pies Home Bank. They hope to bring out
OF the confusion a board of directors that
Will elect Colonel Stone president of the
club. John f. Sheehan, x-adiutant gen.
eral, ex-Registrar of the United States
Land Office and the present receiver of the
Peoples Home Bank is said to be a warm
advocate OF Stones election. Ex-United
States Pension Agent Currier is a brother
officer of Colonel Stone on the staff of
General Dimond, and is also campaigning
with some activity.
An election in the Union Club signifies
something to vast legion of Republicans
IN California who cannot afford the luxury
OF club membership. These voters are
proud to see a social organization of lead
ing Republicans maintained and feel that
the club can exert great deal of influence
toward party success. They know as
dead sure fact, however, that several of the
most notorious and successful seekers of
Federal office, who have lost their follow
ing in the Grand Army and Loyal Legion,
are now playing the Union League Club as
their last card to wiz favor at Washington
under the next Republican President. If
this office-seeking crowd wins the useful
ness of the Union League as force in
party leadership will be greatly impaired.
The foregoing sentiments are freely eX-
pressed by Republicans who are not mem
bers of the organization, but whose loyalty
to Republican principles IS unquestioned.
Since the Union League Club was fonnd-
ed it has been the custom to promote the
first ce-president to the honors of the
presidency. In all the years of the clubs
lie this rule has not been violated but
now it is proposed to make an exception
against General Friedrich, and to accom-
pllsh this purpose the rules OF courtesy in
nominating the regular ticket were vio-
lated. When director has been chosen
by the board to fill vacancy it has been
the invariable rule to place that director
on the regular ticket for the full term next
ensuing. Arthur w. Spear and Charles
NJ. ShOrtridge were chosen to fill vacancies
on the existing board, yet both were
ignored by the manipulators of the regular
ticket for the obvious reason that they
could not be used to down General Fried
rich.
The argument is used that General
Robert A. Friedrich did not come to Cali
fornia in 1849. Yet he was here as a
citizen of California to make public
speeches for the Republican cause during
the Markham-Pond campaign five years
ago. In every campaign since he has been
leader and worker. He is an ex-vet-
eran OF the Union army, comrade OF
George II. Thomas post, G. A. R.. and
high-minded, worthy citizen. If the Union
League wants better man for president
it will have to go a long way to find him.
There was no commotion or excitement
about the clubrooms last evening, but the
impression existed that large vote would
be polled to-day.
General Friedrich was seen last evening,
but again courteously declined to discuss
the election. He acknowledged, however,
that he had received friendly messages
from many nonresident members and
personal assurances of support from very
many mem bers who live in the City.
The following names compose the Mem
bers' ticket, which is supposed to be favor
able to General Friedrlch's promotion in
regular order: Charles M. Shortridge,
Samuel w. Backus, Robert A. Friedrich,
Daniel T. Cole, Arthur w. Spear, John J.
Wirtner, Frank A. Vail, George H. Puppy,
w. D. Sanborn, Charles G. Clinch, Harry
n. Gray.