New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-13
TAFT SIGN RENDS A CLUB
Union League Members of Brook.
Iyn Have Lively Fight.
ROOSEVELT is REAL ISSUE
Acting President Orders Tran.
sparency Up, but Political
Committee Temporizes.

The question whittier the Union League
Club the leading Republican organization
of Brooklyn. shall follow its usual custom
OF placing an electric sign on It's roof bear.
ing the names Of the Republican nominees
for President and Vice President has
stirred so lively an internal fight that some
of the members fear IT may have a dss.-
trous effect upon the organization.
On the one side are arraigned the Roose-
welt forces, under President Robert J. Nc
Farland; nine or ten members Of the board
Of governors, and thirteen Of the fifteen
members Of the political committee On
the other side are the Taft people. under
First Vice-President John z Rlston,
about dozen members of the governing
board and two members Of the political
committee. No one knows exactly how
the upward OF eight hundred members Of
the organization are divided, but each side
contends 1t has a majority. The relative
strength Of the combatants will not be de-.
termined until fall, when the club will
be called together to pass upon the ma
tional ticket.
II has been the custom for the president
TO order Up the sign on the roof as soon as
the national ticket is announced, without
waiting for the action OF the governing
body and the political committee. Mr.. Mac.
Farland was i'll at his country home, Chat.
ham, n. Y, when the Chicago convention
adjourned, and either because OF this, or
because Of his we'll known Roosevelt sym.
pathies, he did nothing about the sign.
Tuesday, Mr. Ruston, as acting president,
sent out call for the board Of governors
TO meet Thursday evening. He declared
yesterday that he did not Intentionally
make the date the same night as that Of
the Roosevelt mass meeting at Prospect
Hall. Fourteen Of the twenty-five govern.
ors met and Mr.. Ruston asked 10 be en-.
powered TO erect the usual sign He eY.
planned that he was acting without having
consulted with Mr.. mcfarland
AS the iice-president said that he Rad
gone ahead by himself because of com.
plants he had received, Alderman Morri.
son, chairman OF the political committee,
asked why the complaints had not been re-
terred IN the usual course TO his body
Frederic E. Gunnison who is a member OF
both the board Of governors and the 70.
litioal committee, and who. like Alderman
Morrison, is identified with the Roosevelt
movement. then suggested that the meet.
ing adjourn on the ground that the matter
could be handled only by the political com.
mittee. He declared the matter was purely
one OF club management, and had nothing
70 do with the controversy between TAFT
and Roosevelt. His motion was lost BY 4
vote of TO g.
Ex-President Almet P La.son then
moved that Mr.. Ruston be empowered 70
put up the sign. After an hours hot de-
bate Cyrus " Washburn amended the mo-
ton, empowering him through the political
committee 10 put up the sign II was
next proposed 10 leave the whole contro-
versy 70 be settled by q meeting Of the
club. 70 be held in a couple of weeks. The
Roosevelt adherents favored this but the
motion was lost by vote Of Z 70 8. Tn,
motion to empower Mr. Ruston TO put up
the sign through the political committee
was then adopted by a vote Of 70 s.
Mr.. Ruston thereupon turned 10 Mr.. Nor
rison and said:
LAS acting president, ask you, as chair.
man Of the political committee, II you Will
place the sign on the roof?'
mot until have consulted with the
members OF the political committee" re-
turned the alderman.
Am TO understand that as a REFUSAL
You can understand that as anything
you please" BE-
The sign was not up last night
The club Is pledged In its charter and
constitution, Mr.. Ruston declared, to work
for and conserve the welfare of the Repub.
lican party. and that means, In his opinion,
that the club is bound to support the Re-
publican ticket. He also insisted that the
dispute would not split the club. that It had
aroused no animos!ty, and was merely
club matter. to be settled by regular action.