The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-20

ident shall appoint a secretary. By that
Will be the end of the present month";
and by the first of August Secretary
Alger viii be at liberty to lay down his
task.
lie is much weared by the weight of
responsibility he has borne for nearly
two years and half he has aged many
years in the opinion of his personal
friends, and is in need of rest. He pro-
poses to depart for the northwest and
spend some Gin the lumber camps
belonging to him, and then to pay visits
to his children. This will occupy his
time until well along into next fall
About political matters the secretary
does not speak now, but it may be fair
ly surmised that he then will be ready
in view of his already announced de-
cislon, to take such part in the Michi-
gan senatorial contest as conditions at
the time will warrant
The closest inquiry fails to elicit any
information as to the intentions of the
president respecting the appointment of
a successor to Mr.. Alger. Names are
mentioned, but they are only those
which have already been suggested in
the press without securing either con-
nrmat1on or denial from any well in
formed person. The members of the
cabinet were all disinclined to talk
about the succession, though one did
remark that the president had made
no mention of a name to him, and he
believed that no decision had yet been
reached.
He also conveyed the impression that
no appointment would be made imme-
diately but that Mr.. Meiklejohn would
De allowed to direct affairs for some
time to come. Among those mentioned
from time to time in this connection
have been Gen. Horace Porter Of New
York, now ambassador to France, Gov.
Roosevelt of New York, Cen Harrison
Gray Otis and Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn. Gen. Corbin has been
mentioned in connection with an ad
interim appointment. The opinion has
peen expressed in some well posted
quarters that the selection would be
! made from the west All this how
ever, is mere speculation.
News of the resignation caused n
ouzz of comment this evening in al
public places, but at the White n ,usa
there was no evidence that any unusual
event had occurred At about O'clock
Secretary Hay, accompanied by Sena-
tor Fairbanks of Indiana, went 10 the
Whlte House for talk on the Alaskan
| boundary question. Secretary Fitch
cock and Comptroller Dawes called So
clally There was no evidence of a cab
met conference. There was nothing tc
give out for publication, it was said
An evening round of the cabinet Off
| GERS still in town, showed unwilling
ness to talk of the resignation.
Adjt. Gen. Corbin, this evening. ex-
| pressed his personal regret at the turn
Of affairs. He said: 81 feel great syri-
pathy and great respect for the secre-
tary History will show that if ne has
erred, 1t has been on the side OF the
soldier, on the side of those who we're
| nghting the battles. No man in that
position has ever had more at heart
| the interests of the soldiers, their com
! fort and their welfare. Time and again
| ne has said to us that everything must
yield before the requirements 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,
Secretary Ayers departure from tl.e
cabinet will leave in it only three of
those members who entered it at the
beginning of the administration, name
| ly, MessrS. Gage, Long and Wilson.
The number of changes that have oc-
CURED in the two and half years OF
4 its life has been very unusual Six
cabinet officers in all have resigned,
either to retire to private life or to ac-
cept other positions at the hands OF the
president.
The transfer of Attorney General
Griggs from the department of justice
to the war department has been sug-
! gested by those who are figuring on
Secretary Ayers successor tonight. 1t
is urged that the largely increased le-
| gal questions which are constantly
coming before the war department as
a consequence of our new possessions
make it desirable that its executive Of
| fiCeI should he a man Of 1apal a ttofn
ment and experience.
In this same connection the name Of
! Hon. Elihu Root, the well known New
York lawyer, is mentioned.
Gen. James II. Wilson of Delaware
now in the volunteer establishment and
| governor of the province of Matanzas.
Cuba, is also spoken of.