Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-22
'LITTLELEss THAN C0WARDLY'
SAYS MIR. ALGER OFFERED REPEAT-
- EDLY TO RESIGN.
President Declared to BE RESPONSE
BILE for Most of the Mistakes That
Have Been Charged Against
His Secretary of
War.

DETROIT, MICH, July Ex-Governor
Pingree to-day handed to the Associated
Press a prepared, signed interview, giving
what the governor asserts to be the facts
upon the relations between General Alger
and President Mckinley, with which the
public is not familiar"
Charles Z. Osborne, state railroad COM
missioner, who is reported to be General
Alger's' representative in preparing for the
senatorial campaign, spent several hours
last night at the governors residence, sups
posedly assisting in the preparation of the
governors statement.
AT the outset the governor said:
II have no hesitation in saying that the
course pursued by the president in this
matter is little less than cowardly. 1t is, to
say the least, very unmanly."
Governor Pingree said his information did
not come from General Alger, but from
one whose knowledge of the facts can
not be disputed"
Proceeding, he says that repeatedly
since the Eastern newspapers began their
attack upon Secretary Alger, the secretary
informed the president that if these press
comments embarrassed 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 con-
l.,
country could not afford to lose his SER
vices. The governor says that at the time
his alleged alliance with General Alger
was announced, and before his disavowal
of interviews criticising the president had
reached Washington, General Alger told
the president that upon the presidents
slightest intimation, he would resign, but
the president refused to entertain the idea
for a moment
"As to the alleged alliance" being any
reason for asking for General Alger's resig,
nation, Governor Pingree says:
Long before my announcement that I
would support General Alger for the SEN
ate, Secretary of State Hay, on June last,
requested Vive President Hobart to inti-
mate to General Alger that his resignation
would be acceptable to the president, and
would relieve him from the embarrassing
attacks OF the press upon the conduct of
the war. Mr.. Hobart very properly de-
clined to be party to such an unmanly.
not to say cowardly, preceding. and ex-
pressed his opinion in terms decidedly Wig
orous.
After that, General Alger, entirely ip.
norant of this miserable conspiracy, sew
eral times offered to end the attacks bv
submitting his resignation, but still the
president did not have the courage to ex-
press himself to his secretary General AL
ger finally did hand his resignation to the
president, to take erect January g
III president dared not face the gen
erat In manly way and ask him to re-
tire, and give his reasons for making the
request. He finally accomplished by indi-
fection what he dared not do in an open
and frank manner himself
Governor Pingree states that Mr. Hobart
was hnalty 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 upon the whole matter. the
governor says that General Alger's ''sacri-
nee" was compelled by demands of New
York politicians, backed by the '.unscrupu.
ious and heartless press He predicts that
self has been responsible for whatever mis-
takes have been made in conducting the
war"
He adds: 81 am told on the very best au-
thority that General Alger made very few
appointments of officers during the war
and that the commissions were issued al
! most entirely upon the orders of the pres
ident."
The governor alleges that the more recent
attacks upon Alger in the East were caused
by his frank declaration Of opposition to
trusts. and he adds:
There is a decided odor of trusts around
the present administration, with Mark
Hanna as the acknowledged king maker -
In conclusion, the governor calls upon
Michigan people and newspapers to protest
aEiinst the injustice done the states fore
| most repI esentative in public life. 1t is
conjectured here that Brigader General
Henry NJ. Duffield gave some of the fore
going information, but the general de-
clines to be interviewed