The record-union., 1896-11-02
COLONEL SPERRY RESIGNS.
viii Serve on Governor Budd'S staff
No Longer.
Insulted by the Governors Speech
Declaring That Employees
Were COerced.

STOCKTON, Oct. 31.-COlOnel George
B. Sperry, the manager of the Sperry
Flour Mills here, and President of
the Sperry Flour Company, has sent to
Governor Budd his resignation as
member of the Governors staff and also
as a Commissioner to manage the Yo-
semitic Valley and Mariposa Big Trees.
The reSigna ton went to the Governors
office to-day and the Colonel sent his
reasons to the Governor in personal
letter.
Colonel Sperry was greatly angered
when he read the Governors speech
made in San Francisco last Monday,
and his action in severing his official re-
lations is based on the stand taken by
Governor Budd. Colonel Sperry's letter
to the Governor reads:
Stockton, Oct. 81, 1896.
James H. Budd, Governor of Califor-
MANY Dear Sir: You were the nom
inee of the Democracy in 1882 for Con-
gress. I supported you. In 1894 l was,
as you know, and as is generally known.
one of your supporters for the highest
office in the gift of the people of Cali
fcrnia. On both occasions / departed
from the path trodden by my own peo-
PIE Q herewith tender them my apol-
oey), but was not the only Republican
who thus erred, as is evidenced by the
majority you received for both offices.
do not propose to discuss here my
reasons for my action, or to make any
apologies to the Republican party at
large.
Il have held for the past two years
a position on your personal staff. You
also inherited me from Governor H.
H. Markham as a Yosemite Commits
sioner. I forwarded to you to-day my
resignation for both of these Offices
My reasons therefor are as follows: I
do not wish to be connected In an Off
cial capacity with you after your speech
delivered in San Francisco Monday
evening last, when you deliberately
charged employers with bribing and
coercion and employees with corruption
and cowardice for an employe must
necessarily be cowardly who would be
coerced).
You must remember, sir, that these
are the people who supported you in
1894 and made it possible for you to
become Governor Of California Have
you SO little regard for the intelligence
of American labor as to believe that in
the short period of two years they have
become eligible to the 'jackass parade,
to quote your own words?.
'The directorate Of the -four company,
Of which have the honor to be a mem
Der, is made UP Of men who are almost
equally divided on the issues Of the day,
and I herewith challenge you or any
one to truthfully assert that they or
the managers of the different mills have
by word or act Influenced or tried to
influence their employees for or against
any political nominees or measures.
Some of our employees will turn out in
the Republican parade in San Fran
cisco this day, and after my friendship
aud acquaintanceship with you, run
ming back for thirty-eight years, / take
1t as an insult to me personally to
charge Republican employers with CO.
ercion.
II consider your remarks on the date
aforesaid Incorporate, demagogic and
false and unbecorning the dignity and
honor which your high office imposes
upon you. I believe that the people
will repudiate your insults at the polls
on Tuesday next. If not then they will
certainly do SO If you at any time in
the future be unfortunate enough to
be the nominee OF any political party.
Thanking you for the courtesies
shown me as an official, remain, sir,
yours very respectfully,
GEORGE B. SPERRY."
Colonel Sperry has had printed the
following, which will be In every en-
ploye's pay envelope on Monday:
ITO the Employees Of the Sperry Flour
Company: On tomorrow (Tuesday),
election day. the Sperry and Union Mills
will be closed down and you are at
liberty for the day. Work will be
resumed on Wednesday morning. The
company expressly desires to impress
on your minds that each and every
individual employe, as a free American
citizen. is entitled to and should give
full, free and fair expression through
the ballot to his sentiments and views
in regard to the issues to be determined
on that day. In other words, in cast
iEg your ballot vote as you please, with
out fear or favor.
"SPERRY FLOUR COMPANY, George
B. Sperry. Manager"