The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-20

Aos11VeIy Refuses to- Discuss the
Cause of His Sudden Determine
ton to Leave the Cabinet-Pres-
tdent and Members of His OficiaI
Family Equally Averse to Talk
Ing on the Subject.
WASHINGTON, July 19.-Secretarv AL
! ger today rendered to the president his
resignation of the war portfolio. The
resignation will become effective Aug /
| though it was rendered "at the pleasure
| OF the president
Gossip has begun already as to his suc-
cessor, but 1t IS entirely speculative. for
Notwithstanding the reports that Mr.. AL
ger would not long continue at the head
OF the war department, his actual resig-
| nation came suddenly and unexpectedly.
mat 1t would come by the end of the
| year was generally believed, but so little
| was 1t expected at this time that some
OF the cabinet officers when the news
| i1rst became public, were inclined to re-
cara the announcement as premature
the announcement that it was actually In
| hand coming to them in the nature of a
surprise
Formal acceptance of the resignation
had not been made by the president up to
a late hour tonight, but it will be in a
letter to be written within the next day
or two. No official statement as to the.
cause of the resignation was procufabie.
either fom the president nor from Seere-
| tary Alger, neither Of whom would talk
on the subject. Nor was the letter of
| reSipna tjOO ipaEla All, @I..o
the present nothing will be made known
officially concerning the severance of the
official relations between the president
and his war minister, but later on the
official correspondence closing the latter's
career as chief of the war department
| doubtless will be given to the press.
RESIGNATION NO SURPRISE.
The belief has prevailed in Washington
for some time that Secretary Alger would
resign from the cabinet, but the date gem
orally set for it was toward the end of
the year, after he had submitted his an
nuaI report, In which he intended to sum
up what had been accomplished during
MS brief but eyentfuI direction of the
war department. It's tender then had
peen regarded as almost foregune con.
ciusion, in view of Mr.. Ayers announce
nent about month ago that he had con-
Guided to enter into competition for the
vacancy in the United States senate to
be caused by the expiration of the term of
senator Mcmillan, strong supporter of
the administration and that he had an.
listed in his active support Gov. Pingree.
who had repeatedly made free criticisms
OF the attitude which was supposed To
be cherished by the president towards the
F1llp1nos. There have been many expIa-
nations 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 secretary had been to change
the relations between the president and
hlmself to such a degree as to make a
restoration of their former status i'm
possible, and to render the connection OF
the two as part Of the same official FAM
lily undesirable.
PINGREE INCIDENT
AT one time since then there was
ground for the belief that rupture
might be avoided, but this belief ceased
to be held when the news spread that
Vice President Hobart and Secretary AL
ger We're In conference at Normanhurst
1t was largely at least as a result of
this conference that Secretary Alger de-
c1ded to leave the cabinet at this time
AT this conference there We're present
besides Secretary AIger, his military aide
ard close personal and political friend
and adviser, Maj. Hopkins, and perhaps
some other persons or person who also
felt deep interest In the future of the
secretary. There has been no disclosure
of what passed by the seaside, but 1t is
significant that the return of the secre-
tary to Washington was followed by
prompt action. He arrived in Washing
ton last night, too late to make any Off
cial calls Almost before the executive
departments were opened for business
this morning he called at the White
house and, visiting the president in his
office, announced that he had concluded
to resign. What passed on that point
between himself and the president is only
a matter of surmise, for neither have
anything to say on this point
Some routine business pertaining to
the war department was disposed of be-
tween the president and the secretary,
and then Mr.. Alger went over to his
office and spent some time with Gen.
Wilson, chief of engineers, and Maj. Hop
kins, looking into the merits of con-
troversy which had arisen over the con-
struction of a draw bridge over a nav
igable. stream in Michigan. Maj. Hop
kinS had just returned from a personal
inspection of the locality and had pre-
pared report on the subject. Several
times they were interrupted by Adjt.
Gen. Corbin, who had some matters of
pressing current business requiring the
personal action of the secretary to bring
to his attention. This attended to Secre-
tary Alger wrote out his formal letter of
resignation, and personally carried it
over to the White house. His call on the
occasion was brief, and when he re-
turned to the war department he closed
the door of his Office to most of the many
callers who were in waiting and had
long conference with Adjt. Gen. Corbin.
DECLINED TO TALK.
To the newspaper men who sought tc
secure some expression from him, the
secretary was courteous but firm. On the
one side Gen. Corbin and on the other Mr..
Victor Mason, his private secretary, by
his authority, they said. made the an
nc uncement that Secretary Alger had
submitted his resignation to the presi-
dent, to take effect at the pleasure of tho
president.
At his residence this evening the secre-
tary was equally uncommunieative, and
positively declined to assign any reason
for the action he had taken. He had
called during the afternoon on Secretary
Hay, at the state department, and with
him at home were Maj. Hopkins and Maj.
Wilson, but beyond newspaper men, few
of whom secured access to himself, the