The San Francisco call., 1909-07-14
JAMESU.SAMMIS
ELECTED GRAND
EXALTEDRULER
By Vote of 59z Iowa Man De-
feats Hermann, Who
Had 529 Votes
All the Herds Unite in Great
Street Demonstration When
Election Is Announced

Los ANGELES. July 1S.-The grand
lodge OF Elks today elected the follow
ing ticket
JAMES U. sAMl1s exalted ruler. Iensrs, Ia.
WARREN G. sAYRE, leading knight, Wa
bash, Ind.
J. D. JONES' lecturing knight, Scranton, Pa.
FRED C. ROBINSON secretary, Dubuque, Ia.
EDWIN r. LEACH. treasurer, New York.
PERRY A. CLAY, member board of trustees,
Denver, Colo
CHARLES L. DICKER, tyler Bemidji MINI.
a. N. TAYLOR, inner guard, st. Augustins,
Fla
Detroit was selected as the meeting
place Of the grand lodge in 1910.
The balloting for grand esteemed
loyal knight resulted in no election.
four candidates being voted for and
no one receiving a majority. J. L. Pres
ton Of Wyoming received 325 votes.
Another ballot viii be taken tomorrow.
The vote for grand exalted ruler was
extremely close, Sammis receiving 592
votes and Hermann 52s
The count was completed at 9 O'Clock
and after the official notification of the
result had been made to Grand Ex-
alted Ruler Holland at his headquar-
ters at the Alexandra hotel, the results
were given TO the press and public.
CHEER THE NEW CHIEF
At the Sammis headquarters in the
Alexandra the band began playing
Dixie" and almost at once the music
was drowned in a wild burst of voices.
For FIVE minutes the widest tumult
ensued and the successful candidate
appeared at the railing of the balcony
over the lobby and spoke to the ex-
cited thrOng. He thanked the mem
bers Of the grand lodge for the honor
bestowed upen him and said he hoped
TO lead the lodge during the coming
year with credit to himself and his
supporters.
Others OF the successful candidates
appeared in turn and then the shouts
Of the multitude broke out again.
The streets leading TO the headquar-
ters were soon a seething mass OF hu-
msnity. Bands appeared as if by magic
clubs formed and began a parade
through the principal streets
BUSINESS FOR TO-DAY
The grand lodge will convene at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning, and after
the election OF grand esteemed loyal
knight will consider the reports Of
committees, which have taken up the
matter Of the preservation of elks, the
laws IN various states regarding col
ored Elks, the Elks' home and the mat
? ter OF establishing an orphanage
The program of amusement for to-
morrow Will take place at Long Beach.
THE BIG FIGHT
The big fight of the session of the
grand lodge was over the election Of a
grand exalted ruler. The result of this
contest was in doubt until the count
OF the votes was completed. During
the last hours the struggle for votes,
led by the Iowa delegation for Sammis
and the Ohio delegation for Hermann,
grew into bitter one, and into this
hnal struggle many prominent Elks, in
cluding Rush L. Holland, the present
grand exalted ruler. were drawn. In a
statement regarding the publication of
a letter he had written to Sammis he
complained that unfairness had beer
shown in not giving cut the entire con-
tents OF the letter, but only such por-
tions as made it appear that he had in
dorsed the candidacy of Sammis.
The only other contest which de-
veloped was over the office of grand
exalted lecturing knight Two nom-
nations were made, those Of Harry
Walter. Philadelphia, and ]. d. Jones
Scranton. Pa. Jones developed cons d.
erable strength during the last hours.
IN the dnuudl IepOEA Ol 0IdHO CA-
alted Ruler Holland, the matter OF es-
tablishing an orphanage for the chill
dren Of deceased members of the Elks'
lodges is submitted TO the grand lodge
without recommendation beyond that a
committee of three members be ap-
pointed to investigate the feasibility
OF the plan.
SUGGESTS A NEW HOME
The location of the present National
Elks' home at Bedford, Va was scatll-
ingly criticised by che grand exalted
ruler. and the suggestion presented
that fund Of $4,000 be raised by
the order during the next 10 years by
an assessment Of cents a member an
nually and that a new home be built
in some other location from this fund.
The consideration of the matter of a
sanst torium in connection with the
present home was also left without an,
recommendation.
The report shows tke%-4he last wear
has been one Of unprecedented pros
perity for the order. Forty-two new
lodges have been established and the
total number Of members is now more
than 100000.
The report decries the use Of men,
bership in the order for political pur-
poses and recommends the enactment
OF a statute providing for the expul-
sion OF any member so using his mem
bership. The exalted ruler points out
that several such attempts were de-
tected and prevented during the last
presidential campaign.
VICTIMS OF PICKPOCKETs
Many Of the eastern visitors to Los
Angeles during Elks' week were caught
in-the jam at Tournament park, Pasa-
dena yesterday during the chariot
races and relieved of sums aggregating
over 81. 900 besides several return rail-
way tickets by a gang of pickpockets