Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-20
GAVE UP HIS OFFICE
Secretary Alger Told the President
He Was Ready to Retire.
RESULFOF LONG BRANCH CONFERENCE
fSlany Changes in the Mckinley
Cabinet.
TALK OF A SUCC SSOR

TALK OF A SUCCESS OR
The fact that Secretary Alger had form
ally resigned first communicated to
the Washington public through a post
script in yesterdays Star. although fire.
quently predicted in the news columns of
The Star. the announcement of the resig-
nation came as a general surprise.
Not Expected Until Later.
The belief had prevailed in Washington
for some time that Secretary Ager would
resign from the cabinet, but the date gen
orally set for it was toward the close of the
year, after he had submitted his annual
report, in which he intended to sum up
what had been accomplished during his
brief but eventful direction of the War De-
partment. Its tender then had been re-
garded as almost a foregone conclusion
in view of Mr.. Ayers announcement about
month ago that he had concluded to enter
into competition for the vacancy in the
United States Senate to be caused by the
expiration of the term of Senator Mcmillan,
a strong supporter of the administration,
and that he had enlisted in his active sup
port Governor Pingree, to whom had been
attributed free criticisms of the policy that
was supposed to be cherished by the Pres
ident toward the FilipinoS.
There have been many explanations and
denials of the facts in that case, but in the
end the impression was conveyed that the
result of the Michigan visit of the Secre-
tary had been to change the relations be-
tween the President and himself to such a
degree to make a restoration of their
former status impossible and to render the
connection of the two as part of the same
official family undesirable.
The Long Branch Conference.
At one time since then there was ground
for the belief that a rupture might be
avoided, but this belief ceased to be
held when the news spread that Vice
President Hobart and Secretary Alger were
in conference at Normanhurst, Long
Branch. At this conference there were
present besides Secretary Alger his mill
tary aid and close personal and political
friend, Major Hopkins, and perhaps some
other person or persons who felt deep
interest in the future of the Secretary.
There has been disclosure of what pass
ed by the seaside, but there is no doubt
that the resignation was decided upon at
the summer home of Vice President Ho-
bart. Secretary Alger left Long Branch
Tuesday afternoon and came through to
Washington that night.
On the same train Secretary Gage,
who had been to New York on business.
The two members of the Presidents cabi-
net talked on different affairs. Secretary
Alger complained of not feeling we'll 1t is
supposed that Secretary Alger spoke 60
Secretary Gage of his intention to resign.
Secretary Alger for a long time believed
that Secretary Gage was responsible for
newspaper rumorS of his resignation from
the cabinet, but recently had become con-
WINGED that the Secretary of the Treasury
had not been the source OF these stories.
For time the two men did not have much
to say to each other at the cabinet meet
ings, but recently they had greeted each
other cordially, and there was apparently
no i'll feeling between them.
For some time, at least since the an
nouncement of Secretary Ayers senatorial
ambition, Secretary Gage is said 10 have
quietly given his opinion that Secretary AL
ger ought not to remain in the cabinet, but
II was generally denied that he had made
public his sentiments on this subject.
Secretary Alger and Vice President Ho-
bart are warm personal friends, and the
Secretary apparently went to Long Branch
for the purpose of consulting his friend.
Few persons believe the story which has
been published that the President had in
directly asked Vice President Hobart to
suggest to Secretary Alger the desirability
of resigning. 1t is not the Presidents habit
TO do anything in this roundabout manner.
His Formal Resignation. g..
He arrived in Washington Tuesday night,
too late to make any official calls.
Almost before the executive departments
were opened for business yesterday morn
ing he called at the White House, and
visiting the President in his office, an
nounced that he had concluded to resign
his office. What passed on that point be-
tween himself and President is only a
matter of surmise, for neither has any
thing TO say on this point. Some routine
business pertaining to the War Department
was disposed of between the President and
the Secretary, and then Mr.. Alger went
over TO his office and spent some time with
General Wilson, chief of engineers and
Major Hopkins, looking into the merits of
a controversy which had arisen over the
construction of a draWbridge over a navi-
gable stream in Michigan. Several times
they were interrupted by Adjutant General
Corbin, who had some matters of pressing
current business requiring the personal &C
ton of the Secretary TO bring to his atten-
ton.
This attended to Secretary Alger wrote
out his formal letter of resignation and
personally carried it over 10 the White
House. His call on this occasion was
brief, and when he returned to the War
Department he closed the door of his Office
to most OF the many callers who were in
waiting, and mad long conference with
General Corbin.
No Official Statement.
To the newspaper men who sought to Sc
cure some explanation from him Secretary
Alger simply admitted that he had resigned
but courteously refused to discuss the mat
ter. From other sources it is learned that
the resignation will become effective Au-
gust 1, though 1T was rendered lat the
pleasure of the President
AS to the report that General Corbin
would be Secretary ad interim, an officer
close to the general said there was no basis
for the report General Corbin made a
statement in regard to the matter in which
he said:
Il feel great sympathy and great respect
for the Secretary. History will show that
If he has erred it has been the side of
the soldier on the side of those who were
fighting the battles. No man in that posi-
ton has ever had more at heart the inter-
ests of the soldiers. their comfort and their
welfare. Time and again he has said to US
that everything must yield before the re-
quirements of the men in the field, and If
the funds were lacking he would pay for it
himself He will leave the department with
the respect and esteem of every one in it,
Many Changes in the Cabinet.
When Secretary Alger leaves the cabinet
there will be only three members left who
became part of the administration with the
inauguration of President Mckinley. These
are Secretaries Gage, Long and Wilson. In
the two years and half existence of the
administration there has been an unusually
large number 81 changes in the cabinet