Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-08-05
New York Suu Gives Details Of His
Withdrawal.
Hobart Always His Friend Finally Broached
The Natter Combine With PIngrse
Turned The Balance.

UeneTal husSell "A. anger, Oecfo
tary of War, called at the White
House this afternoon and person
ally handed his resignation to the
President. No date for the retire.
ment of the Secretary is mention
ed. 1t says merely that the re-
sigpstion is to take effect at the
pleasure of the President. The
announcement Of this action was
made by Secretary Alger this
afternoon. Alger will not remain
in the Cabinet in any event after
August Is. He has determined
that positively, although the Pre-.
sident will allow him to take his
own time in retiring.
The story comes from Long
Branch, and is we'll authenticated
here, that the arrangement for the
retirement of Secretary Alger was
made by Vice President Hobart.
Az told by man familiar with all
the circumstances, the resignation
was brought about in this way:
For several months prominent
men in the Republican party in
Guiding some officers of the Cabi-
net, have urged the President to
call for Alger's resignation. The
President would not consent to be
guided by this advice, however,
contending that no ground had
existed for the clamor for General
Aleer's retirement. 1t was urged
on the President that for the good
of the party the services of Alger
should be dispensed with, even
though innocent of the charges
concerning bis conduct of the
War Department in the war with
Spain. The President still re-
NAMED firm. He insisted that
Alger had made a good Secretary
OF War and that no reason for his
dismissal had appeared.
After the publication of the
Pingree interviews, folio wing the
report that Algsr had made q
political alliance with Pingree in
his candidacy for United States
Senator, prominent Republicans
in the confidence of the President
became iosistent that the Score.
tary of War should retire. They
urged President Mckinley to use
the Pingree interviews as an ex-
cuse for asking for Alger's resig-
nation. This the President re-
fused to do, although be showed
that he would be glad to have
Alger voluntarily relieve him Of
embarrassment. The matter drag
ged along until finally the Presi.
dent determined to take action to
secure Alger's resignation in an
indirect way. He sent Attorney
General Griggs to see Vice. Presi-
dent Hobart. Hobart has been
staunch friend OF the Secretary
throughout his troubles. This
was known to the President 1t
was through Hobart that he
worked to accomplish what had
evidently been in his mind for
some time. GrigRs told Hobart
that the resignation of Secretary
Alger would be acceptable to the
President, and asked the Vice.
President to advice the Secretary
to tender it.
Alger went to Long Branch at
the invitation of Hobart. While
there the Vice. President advised
him to resign from the Cabinet,
but without mentioning that the
suggestion had been inspired by
the President. Alger apparently
did not understand at the time
that the President wanted him to
retire, and the question of his re-
signation was not then disposed
of. 1t was understood between
the ce-President and the Score
tary, however, that General Alger
should not remain in the Cabinet
longer than after January l, 1900.
Last Saturday the Secretary
again went to Long Branch at
Hobart's invitation. The Vice
President did not hesitate to tell
Alger that the country wanted
him to get out, and that he must
be sacrificed. Alger asked Hobart
it he made that statement for him
self or at the suggestion of others,
and the Vice President then con-
fessed it was the Presidents de-
sire, made known to him through
GriPgs.
Alger expressed surprise that
l.