The San Francisco call., 1896-02-26
LEACH REFUSES TO TALK
Governor Budd Invites the Jour-
nalistic Director to
Criticize.
THE INVITATION ACCEPTED.
The Old Official Will Not Say Whether
or Not He Will Resign His
Position.
THE INVITATION ACCEPTED
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANcIsco CALL,l
Q02 RroadNav Feb %

OAhbAND OtFltE DAN II FRANCISCO tJALL,l
908 Broadway, Feb. %.
The interest in the Blind Home director
ate now centers about Frank A Leach oil
this city, the only remaining director not
removed by Governor Budd. 1t was re-
ported last night that Mr.. Leach had de-
cided to resign. When asked abont it to-
night, Director Leach SAID he could not
affirm or deny the statement.
81 do not think it proper for me to say
anything about the affairs of the home,' -
he said, land I decline absolutely to say
anything about Colonel Irish, Governor
Budd or any one else"
Governor Budd was asked this afternoon
as to whether or not he would dispense
with the services of Mr.. Leach. He re-
piled:
''Mr. Leach rendered his resignation
either during the latter portion of Mr..
Markham's term or the earlier portion OF
mine, and | asked him to withdraw it.
He Is Repu blican, but l will be pleased
to have him on tn board if he desires to
remain. He is the editor of Republican
newspaper and if there be anything
crooked in the management of the insti-
| tuition he will have the opportunity of OBJ
| serving and publishing it to the world. ]
| shall be pleased to have his criticism OF
the institution as it goes along. There Is
| nothing to conceal"
| Director Leach evidently "pleases'' to
criticize, and although he refused to ex-
press verbal opinion his newspaper to-
night contained the following editorial:
The worst thing about the recent change in
| the superlntendency of the Industrial Home
| for the Adult Blind is the humbug with which
| it is sought to cover it up Superintendent San.
! rpr ont Hor. mt
| IN because it was supposed necessity to find
a pace for Hays, and the manly thing would
nave peen to say so publicly. In private con-
versations which preceded the recent overturn
! there seems to have been no concealment OF
the real.purpose. While talking confidentially
none of the powers that be thought il neces-
! sary to call spade anything but spade, and
| 1T would have been to their credit if they had
! displayed the same candor in their public com
munications. There is worse otfense in pub
lie officials than spoils politics, and its name is
! humbug To go before the people with pre-
| tense that a certain movement is for reform,
when 1t Is intended primarily for somebody
| private advantage, is g. falSehood. To assign
| one reason IN private and another in public
| Tor given act is hypocrisy and cowardice,
compared with which the frauk avowal of
| spoils principles by political boss is almost
respectable.
And yet, what Colonel Irish calls the stpot-
housing of the Home for the Adult Blind is
| deplorable enough in itself 1t is the culmi-
| nation OF efforts which have been in progress
| through several administrations of the State
| Government. but have never succeeded until
| now. The home has been conducted as q bust
ness establishment would be, ignoring politics
| officials have neither been put out or put in
| because they belonged to one party or the
other; Republicans have voted to retain Demo
| cratic Office holders, and vice versa. All the
| while the politicians have resented this man.
ner OF running the home and from time to
time they have made desperate grabs to get
control. They were rebuffed repeatedly, but at
last they have succeeded, and the pity of it is
that they should have succeeded through q
board of directors whose new members are all
reputable gentlemen. The policy OF the lnsti-
tuition has been reversed, and in the long run
the change cannot fail to be for the worse
Superintendent Jack Hays was seen to-
night. He would only say he had not
seen Colonel Irish since the latter returned
from Washington, except at one board
meeting, and at that time the colonel and
the superintendent did not exchange a
single word.