The San Francisco call., 1896-02-25
COLONEL IRISH
SCORCHES BUDD,
Politicians Have Long
Lusted to Loot the In.
dustrial Home
ARE AT LAST SUCCEEDING
The Governors Course "Pep-
pered With Falsehood and
Bad Faith"
COLONEL JACK HAYS RECORD.
MADE Superintendent Over the Blind
to Keep Him Out of the
PoorhouSe."
COLONEL JACK HAYS RECORD

Colonel John P Irish does not mince
matters in his discussion of Governor
Budd and his motive for removing him
Qrish) from the Board of Directors of the
industrial Home for the Blind.
"My father was blind-became blind
when | was a child" said Colonel Irish.
81 have been in constant contact with the
blind all my life. What / have done as
director of the home 1 have done as I
would for my own. My sympathies were
enlisted and alive. / have studied them,
| know their literature. | know some
thing of what men may do in the absence
OF this capital sense. 1t is with this
knowledge that l have wrought among
them at this institution for nine years,
and | have the satisfaction of knowing
that 1T is one of the best institutions of the
kind In the country. This man Sanders
the uperintendent, whose removal l re-
fused to sanction, and for which refusal
was myself removed, is a perfectly compe-
tent man. He knew by the intuition of
perfect sympathy how to deal with these
men, and he placed the institution in the
first class of it's kind.
"Now l will give you the inside history
of this business-my removal and what
led up to it-proviued you will print it as
L give it. 1 wish to speak plainly, and to
be understood as being personally respon-
slble for what | say"
From this point in the interview the
language of Colonel Irish was taken word
for word. He said:
While the Legislature was in session
in 1895, Governor Budd requested the
presence of Jacob Greenhood in his Office
saying that if GREENWOOD would state to
him, the Governor, what he had heard Fred
A. Campbell, director of the home, had
proposed to Greenhood to make money
for him (CampbelD out of his office as
director. he would dismiss Campbell at
once and appoint director in his place.
Mr.. Greenhood waited upon the Governor
and repeated to him Campbelps PROPOSE
ton in my presence. The Governor said,
Il believe every word of it, by - But
he did not remove Campbell.
subsequently, in February or March,
1895, Governor Budd told me personally
that when the Legislature adjourned he
proposed to visit the blind home, in
quire thoroughly into it's affairs, and in
form himself fully about it before he made
up his mind about any change.
when the Legislature adjourned he did
not visit the home nor in any way directly
or indirectly make inquiry into its affairs.
''In the summer of 1895 / met on Market
street, San Francisco, at a point near the
intersection of California street, one
Fleming of Alameda. He approa ched me
in a boisterous and bullying manner,
which l concluded he had recently ac-
quired in neighboring saloon. and said,
See here, by -, do you know that the
Hon. Frank Moffitt, the Hon. Bill English,
General Dick Hammond and l held a
meeting in Jerry Hannifin's saloon in
Oakland and decided to kick out that -
- blind man from the blind home
and give Colonel Jack Hays that place,
and if you don't do it we will turn YOU
down, by -. The Democracy of Ala
media County demands it, l told him if
that were SO the Democracy of Alameda
County might be in better business than
pothousing State institution and perse-
cutting competent blind man.
"In August, 1895, upon return from a
summer outing with my family 1 found at
my office q request from Governor Budd
to see him. l called on him at the Cali
fornia Hotel in San Francisco. To get
alone with me and away from the people
who were in the room he entered closet
and closed the door. In that privacy he
said to me:
See here, want you to turn out that
blind fellow Sanders and give the superin-
tendency to Jack Hays 1 answered,
why do you wish such a change? He
| replied. Because Hays is a pauper and in
capable of self-support; by -; his rela-
tives have to feed and clothe him and his
family, and must find place for him OF
let him go to the poorhouse.' said, Gov
ernor, indulgence and incapaclty for self.
support are two-thirds of the legal aualifi.
cations for admission to the home as an
inmate, add blindness and You com plete
the list. l think the superintendent
should not be within one-third the condi
ton of the inmates. Sanders is two
thirds EN- owed, for he has only blindness
You and l will have no misunderstanding
about this matter. 1 won't make thu
| change
I'm further conversation / recited some
| what the history of the effort made to i'm
prove the condition of the adult blind anC
the success of men blind from childhood
In uperintending these institutions, ant
finally we left the closet and parted, eaci
adhering to his opinion in the matter
The Governor said he would make $40
place in the shop and let Sanders stay ant
run the business on that salary. / salt
that he would not have any control OF tn
men after being degraded from the super
intendency.
81 reflected that the Governor had mad
up his mind to this change without visit
ing the home and making inquiry into it
| affairs, as he had promised. Thereafter
sought the reason which moved him to
course which in my judgment would prov
| injurious to the institution. WAITED upor
Harbor Commissioner Colnon, who ha,
been the Governors secretary and was be
lieved to be in the possession of his con
fidence.
"Mr. Colnon told me that the effort t
get the superintendency for Hays and t,
dispiace Sanders began with men whom
the Governor believed to be his enemies
that Bill Engish's brother had called hin
(the Governor) 'stinker,' and he dit
not like any recommendation from tha