The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-21
HAWLEY DEFENDS ALGER
SAYS HE WAS NT1GONIZED BY
YELLOW JOURNALS.
Nothing Short of Divine Providence
Would Have Accomplished What Was
Expected of the Late Secretary of War
in an Incredibly Short Time-Senator
Mcmillan Also Talks.

Mcmillan Also Talks.
Meriden, July 20.-United States SEN
ator Joseph r. Hawley, chairman of
the senate committee on military af-
fairs, arrived here this morning for a
conference with Senator O.. II. Platt.
To Morning Record reporter who
asked him for his views on Secretary
Alger's resignation, Senator Hawley
said:
gers resignation only what I read this
morning in the New York papers. The
man has been terribly harassed and
antagonized by the yellow journals
and miracles have been expected of him.
He was asked to equip $4,000 soldiers
from the covering of their heads to the
shoes on their feet, and in such an in
credibly short space of time that moth
ing short of Divine Providence would
have accomplished it.
THE attacks on General Alger have
been wholly without cause, for the man
has done equally as well as any human
being could do. Fault has been found
with this detail and that detail; whole
trains of cars We're wanted at a mo-
ment's notice; some wholesale house
failed to furnish what was desired, and
so it went. One complaint followed an
other, and the yellow journals picked
up the cry and sold papers,.
The newspapers are looking for
something to get up and tear their
shirts about. The war we have just
passed through has been a wonderful
one. We have whipped a nation and
demolished two navies, and all that
with the loss of but one man on the
water. Why, when l was in the army
we lost more men in a little battle down
in Florida, that probably very few peo-
pie have ever heard about, than were
lost by the American forces during the
whole Spanisi war. The entire cam |
paign was admirably handled. Where
and when has an army been gotten to- |
gether and equipped so expedtiously as
ours was?
Secretary Alger is a conscientious !
worker, and the president would never |
accept his resignation If so much rank !
criticism had not ben made. Under the |
of course, the president |
cannot allow him to remain in the cab |
met
who will be his probable successor"
inquired the reporter.
Senator Hawley pulled on the stump
of a cigar he held between the teeth
several seconds before replying and
said: II don't know; / don't believe
President Mckinley knows"
There are several available men, but
for myself / would like to see our am
bassador to France, General Horace
Porter, get the appointment"
Manchester by the-Sea, Mass, July
2O.-Senator Mcmillan of Michigan, who
is occupying his summer residence
here gave this afternoon the following
statement to a representative of The
Associated Press, regarding the resigna-
tion of Secretary Alger: II regret that
General Alger felt that he should leave
the cabinet just at this time, as | hoped
he would remain until the end of the
term. | would gladly have done any
thing to aid him in keeping his port
'olio. / have always felt kindly toward
he general and was aVerse to unjust
criticism for which he has long suffered.
have always repudiated any statement
o the contrary that General Alger and
were good friends. If he is a candi-
late for the senate from my state, to
which he has a perfect right to aspire,
hen that is another matter, but ] do
lot care to discuss that. In regard to
he statement made by Governor Pin
cree charging me with controlling the
,ress of the country in the criticism of
Alger for the past eight years, / have
gnored Mr.. Pingree and VIII continue
O do so. His last statement is too alb
urd to be considered or answered