Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-22
IS MAD
Because Alger Had to
Leave the Cabinet.
NEWSPAPER REPORTS
Connecting the Secretary With Alleged
Scandals Are Claimed By Him to
Have Been Without Any Foundation
Whatever in Fact.

Detroit, Mich, July Ex-Governor Pin
gree today handed to the Associated
Press a prepared interview, giving what
the governor asserts to be- facts which
are absolutely reliable" beating upon
the relations between Secretary Alger
and President Mckinley with which the
public is not familiar. At the outset the
governor says:
Il nave 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 zone whose knowledge of the facts
can not be disputed" Proceeding, he
says that repeatedly since the eastern
began their attack upon
Secretary Alger. the secretary informed
the president that if these press COM
ments embarrassed the administration in
the slightest degree he would resign at
once. but the president as often pro-
tested emphatically that he had the ut
most confidence IN Secretary Alger and
his conduct of the war department and
the country could not afford to lose his
services. The governor says that at the
time his alleged alliance" with General
Alger was announced and before his dis
avowals of interviews criticising the
~ loN tSNiI1" >toii. ,'E-l-
eral 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 Ayers
resignation, Governor Pingree says:
"Bsfore my announcement that | would
support General Alger for the senate.
Secretary of State Hay on June . last
requested Vice President Hobart to init
mate to General Alger that hia resigna-
ton would be acceptable to the president
and would relieve him from the embar-
RAISING attacks of the press upon the
conduct of the war. Mr.. Hobart promptly
declined to be a party to such an UNI
manly. not to say cowardly. proceeding,
ard expressed his opinion in terms de-
cidedly vigorous.
After that General Alger, entirely ig-
norant of this miserable conspiracy, sew
eral times offered to end the attacks by
submitting his resignation, but still the
president did not have the courage to ex-
press himself to his secretary. General
Alger finally did hand his resignation to
the president, to take effect January ,.
The president dared not face the general
IN a manly way, and asked him to retire
and give his reasons for making the re-
quest. He finally accomplished by indii-
rection what he dared not do in an open
and frank manner himself"
Governor Pingree states that Mr.. Ho-
bart was finally prevailed upon by At
torney General Griggs to convey to the
secretary that his resignation was de-
sired. and gave my alleged alliance
with the secretary as a preteXt."
Commenting upon the whole matter,
the governor says that General Alger's
sacrifice was compelled by demands Of
New York politicians, backed by the
"~unscrupulous and heartless press" He
predicts that it will be learned that the
president himself has been responsible
for whatever mistakes have been made
IN conducting the war" He adds:
Il am told on the very best authority
that General Alger made very few APP
pointments of officers during the war,
and that the commissions We're issued
almost entirely upon the orders of the
PRESIDENT
The governor alleges that the more re-
cent attacks upon Alger in the east were
caused by his frank declaration of OPP
position to trusts, and 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 upor
Michigan people and wspaper to pro
test against the injustice done the states
foremost representative in public life
1t is conjectured here that Brigadier Gen
eral Henry NJ. DutIield gave some of the
foregoing Information, but the genera
declines to he interviewed.
Charles T.. Osborne, state railroad com.
missioner, who is reputed to be Genera
Ayers representative in preparing FOL
the senatorial compalgn, spent severa
hours last night at the governors resi-,
dence. supposedly assisting III preparing
the governors statement.
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