A. A. Sargent

are now doing. I ask to be excused for troubling you. I have this fight by twenty ma jority if these gentlemen should speak a word of encouragement for me instead of opposing me; and I would have a fair majority of they could be neutral.

Respectfully,

AA Sargent

Personal & confidential

San Francisco, Jan. 11/85 Hon. L. Stanford, Dear Sir: In our con versation yesterday you asked what Dick Chute meant. I could only tell you at the time what I had observed, viz, that for 6 weeks he has been here working hard for Estee. Since I saw you one [ ] friend, a reliable gentleman has sounded Chute, the latter telling him his plans without knowing the information was for me. This is the result: Chute is in with the Chronicle to force the Repub lican party into anti monopoly. They think

Estee can do much for this, as Senator, and that his hatred to you personally and his revenge for being beatin for Governor by the [ ] company, will keep him level against the Company in the Senate + the party. The Chronicle wants the party anti monop oly to sinch the Company, and triumph over you. Chute wants Estee for per sonal reasons. Both want to beat me. If the new [ ] does not elect Estee, then these parties think your election will drive the

Republican party into anti monopoly, because they say you can only get it by spending a great deal of coin, which will be notorious + disgust the party with the [ ]. In any event they gratify their hate of me. Perkins is one of the origina tors of the scheme. He sees he has very little support, and wants to get out in some dramatic way. There are men around you with personal ambitions, who hope to personally profit by confusion. I have thus told the whole story as Chute told it to my friend.

The path of honor and safety is in my speedy election.

Very respectfully, AA Sargent