The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-02

never yet retired under fire, and DO not
propose to do so now he asserted.
The Commercial Advertiser of New
York followed this up with an inter-
oiew. as result of which it said: Sec
rotary Alger says that he is not going
to leave the cabinet. He says it is not
, true that he has placed a formal letter
of resignation in the hands of a nu-
tual friend 10 be given TO the presi-
dent
1t explained why the president could
not ask for the resignation, as follows:
1.-The reason for this was that Presi-
dent Mckinley regarded himself as re-
sponsible for the conduct of the war
department, and realized that the criti-
cism aimed at his secretary was aimed
particularly at certain things the do
ing of which he had sanctioned in per-
son, or for the omission of which he
was in person responsible. For instance,
the severest criticism made against Mr..
Alger in the public press was on ac-
count of his supposed neglect 10 have
the medical commissary and quarter
masters department of the army in
effective operation at the beginning Of
the war. It was to the lack of organi-
zation in these departments that most
of the hardships which stirred the
country so deeply last summer were
due. The president knew that Secre-
tary Alger should not properly be held
responsible for this. and that if any
body was to blame he himself was the
one. Weeks before war was declared
Secretary Alger applied to the presi-
dent for authority TO eXpend portion
Of the $50 000, 900 emergency fund in lay
ing in medical stores and rations pre-
liminary to a possible offensive cam
paign by the army, and in buying
necessary to send the army beyond our
own shores. The president refused to
authorize this expenditure"
Nor is the newspaper which published
the foregoing opinion and review of the
controversy at all friendly to Alger. 1t
repeatedly called for his resignation
up TO the day it was minded in. The
Commercial Advertiser is a Mckinley
organ, and approves the financial, COM
civil service and expansion pol
icies; yet it says of the neglect which
the whitewash committee charged
against certain heads of the bureaus"
that the president was responsible for
this neglect, not Mr.. Alger."
Commenting subsequently upon this
matter, the same journal said that IA
great deal of criticism was directed at
Mr.. Alger on account of things for
which he was not properly responsible.
The president felt this. and felt that
he could not in honor allow his secre-
tary of war to be driven from the cabi-
net and made d scapegoat, when the
president hirzself was the one who
should be blamed, if anybody"
But Alger did resign before the year
was out. He rendered his resignation
within one week from the time he de-
clared that he didn't propose to retire
under fire. Yet one of the most radi-
cal administration organs says that the
things he was blamed for the president
did that Mckinley was really respon-
sib4e for the neglect of the soldiers
of last year; that the presi- |
dent knew this, and, therefore, could |
not and would not demand mis- resigna-
ton. and that Alger protested against |
being made a scapegoat. How, then, |
did it happen? Is he a scapegcat? Is |
he a martyr? Is he eXpiating the sins |
Of another?
If so, the American people should |
know it. No false appeal to patriotism
should screen the real culprit The |
guilty should net be continued in a |
position 10 work harm, although an
innocent victim or a weak accomplish !
to take the punishment. The !
myth has played out. Proxy
victims do not satisfy a civilized de-
mand for Justice.