The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-17
Supervisor Consents to Run and Is Endorsed
By Republican Municipal League

Supervisor George L. Center entered
! the race for the republican mayoralty
nomination yesterday. backed by the
municipal league of independent repub-
lican clubs The new aspirant appeared
before the special committee of the
league charged with the task of select
ing a candidate for mayor, withdrew
the declination of the honor which he
had rendered when overtures were first
made to him. and was unanimously in
dorsed.
Center appeared before the commit
! tee, consisting of George Z. Crothers.
/ Hiram Johnson, John w. Sweeney, Will
liam NJ. Symon, Byron Mauzy. Andrea
Sbarboro, Max J. Kuhl and John Nc
Callum, on Tuesday morning to recon-
mend Hooper, the we'll known lumber
dealer. as candidate for mayor. After
presenting Hooper's name Center with
drew TO let the committee deliberate.
Half an hour later he returned and was
told that the committee had not dis
cussed Hoopers name, but had unani-
mOusly decided that Center was the
man they wanted.
Center said that he would sleep on
the question and would give his answer
in the morning. He waited on the COM
mittee yesterday morning and explained
that he had intended to retire from pol
itics at the conclusion of his term as
supervisor and with that end in view
had refrained from joining with the IA
members of the board who are candi-
dates for reelection. For the same
reason, he said, he had refused to be a
candidate for mayor when members of
the committee first approached him.
ENEMIES URGED HIM
But the men who sat in that COM
mittee and urged me to be a candi-
date" said Center afterward, were
men who had been fighting with me
for years in the old line nonpartisan
movement, and 1 could not persist in
my refusal"
George L. Crothers, chairman of the
committee, had this to say about the
choice of Center:
The committee is delighted with its
success in securing him as a candidate
for mayor Leading members of the
municipal league urged him to accept
the position before the nomination was
offered to any one else. but he re-
fused to entertain any proposals. He
finally consented to consider our pro-
posal only after we had presented the
matter to him in the most imperative
manner, and as positive civic duty.
TO Mr.. Center the mayoralty sim
ply means a great personal sacrifice
in the interest of the prosperity. credit
and reputation of the city and of every
one of it's citizens. San Francisco is
to be congratulated upon it's good for
tune in securing such a splendid can
didate for mayor"
Shortly after Center had accepted.
the news reached the street and was
quickly buzed about among states
men" of all political creeds. The usual
variety of opinions as to his chances
were vouchsafed. Some said that the
choice was a wise one. inasmueh as
Center, after Rolph, was just the can
didate to sweep the Mission, where Nc
Carthy is supposed to have consider
able strength.
OPPOSED TO PROSECUTION.
Center's stand on public corpora ton
questions in the board of supervisors
/ was discussed. From some quarters
came the whisper that Center was on
posed to the graft prosecution.
That one element of the republican
party was not willing to follow i'm
mediately in the wake of the committee
of the municipal league was made ap-
parent in the course OF the afternoon.
The committee of seven. appointed
from the county committee by Chair
man Dam of the campaign committee
/ of that body, held a meeting in the
office of Ralph L. Hathorn. This com
mittee is also charged with the work
of selecting a suitable candidate for
mayor. Center's name was discussed
at the meeting. but the committee was
not prepared to admit that he was the
man of the hour so action was de-
/ ferred for a day. This committee will
meet again this afternoon and will try
to take some action in order to make
a report TO the campaign committee.
which meets in the evening.
That the municipal league will in
dorse Center when it. meets in confer
ence in Lyric hall tomorrow night goes
without saying. While the action of
the committee is not binding on the
conference there is no doubt that the
members of ii represent fairly the
sentiments of the delegates.
Center was asked yesterday about
his attitude toward the graft prosecu-
ton. He answered that while he had