The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-07-28
Governor Of Michigan Severely
Scores President Mckinley
TREATED ALGER SHAMEFuLLY"
The Assertion Is rIade That War
Secretary Repeatedly Offered
to Vacate.

- eAt5 @AAeAs1 oHbNlAt ~ Jos hbF~
ernor Pingree handed to the Associy
ted Press Friday prepared, and signed
interview, giving wha! the governor
asserts are to be "facts which are alb
solutely reliable, bearing upon the re.
lations between General Alger and
President Mckinley with which the
public are not familiar. At the out.
set the governor said:
81 have no hesitation in saying that
the course pursued by the president
in this matter is little less than cow
ardly. tits, to say the least, very
unmanly."
Governor Pingree said his informa-
tion did not come from General Alger,
but from one whose knowledge of the
facts cannot be disputed.
Proceeding, he says that repeatedly
since the eastern newspapers began
their attacks upon Secretary Alger,
the secretary informed the president
that if those press dispatches embar-
raised the administration in the
slightest degree, he would resign at
once, but the president as often pro-
tested emphatically that he had the
utmost confidence in Secretary Alger
and his conduct of the war depart
ment, and that the country could not
afford to lose his services.
The governor says that at the time
''his alleged alliance with General Al
ger was announced, and before his dis
avowal of interviews criticising the
president had reached Washington,
General Alger told the president that
upon the presidents slightest intima-
tion he would resign, but the presi-
dent refused to entertain the idea for
q moment
Gas to the alleged alliance being
any reason for asking for General Al
gers resignation, Governor Pingree
says, Long before my announcement
that I would support General Alger
for the senate, Secretary of State Hay,
on June I'd last, requested Vice Presi-
dent Hobart to intimate to General
Alger that his resignation would be
acceptable to the president and would
relieve him from the embarrassing at
tacks of the press upon the conduct Of
the war.
Mr.. Hobart very properly declined
to be @ party to such unmanly, not to
say cowardly, proceeding and express
his opinion in terms decidedly vigor-
GUS
''After that General Alger, entirely
ignorant of this miserable conspiracy,
several times offered to end the attacks
by submitting his resignation, but
still the president did not have the
courage to express himself to his sec
rotary. General Alger finally did
hand his resignation t. the president
to take effect January Cd.
"The president dared not face the
general in manly way and ask him
to retire and give his reasons for MAX
ing the request. He finally accom-
plished by indirection what he dared
not do in an open and frank manner
himself"
Governor Pingree states that Mr..
hoOarC was nnaily prevailed upon by
Attorney General Griggs to convey to
the secretary that his resignation was
desired and gave my alleged alliance
with the secretary as a pretext.
Commenting on the whole matter,
the governor says that General Ayers
sacrifice was compelled by demands of
New York politicians, backed by the
"unscrupulous aud henrtless press.
He predicts that it will be learned
"that the president himself will be
responsible for whatever mistakes have
been made in conducting the war"
81 am told on the very best author
ity that General Alger made very few
appointments of officers during the
war, and that the commissions were
issued almost entirely upon the order
| of the president"