The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-20

ignation of the war portfolio. The res
ignation will become effective Aug. l.
though it was rendered lat the pleas
ure of the president"
Gossip has already begun as to his
successor. but it is entirely specula-
tive, for notwithstanding the reports
| that Mr.. Alger would not long continue
at the head of he war department, h;
actual resignation came suddenly and
/ Unexpectedly That it would come by
the end of the year was generally be
lieved. hut so little was it expected at
this time that the cabinet officers,
when the news first became public.
were inclined to Regard the announce
ment as premature the announcement
! that it was actually in hand coming
to them in the nature of a surprise.
| Formal acceptance of the resignation
| had not been made by the president up
to late hour tonight. bat viii be in
letter TO be written within the next day
| or two. No official statement as TO the
! cause of the resignation was prOcurable
either from the president or from See
rotary Aiger either of whom would not
talk Oh the subject. Nor was the letter
of resignation obtainable at this time.
4 L
| known officially concerning the sever
ance of the official relations between
the president and his war minister, but
| later on the official correspondence
| closing the latter's career as chief of
the war department doubtless VIII he
given to the press.
Sooner Than Expected.
The belief had prevailed in Washing
f0r "a \ l.
ger would resign from the cabinet. but
the date generally set for it was to-
wards the close of the year. after he
had submitted his annual report. in
which he intended to sum UP what had
been accomplished during his brief but
eventful direction of the war DEPART
ment. Its tender then had been regard
ed as almost a foregOne conclusion, in
view of Mr.. Ayers announcement
about month ago that he had con-
cluded to enter competition Tor the va
cancy in the United States senate to
be caused by the expiration OF the term
of Senator Mcmillan. and that he had
enlisted in his active support Governor
Pingree. to whom had been attributed
free criticisms of the policy that wss
supposed to be cherished by the presi-
dent toward the Filipinos
There have been many explanations
and denials of the facts in that case
but in the end the impression was con
veyed that the result of the Michigan
visit of the secretary had been
to change the relations between the
president and himself 70 such a degree
as TO make restoration of their for
mer status impossible. and to render
the connection of the two as part Of
the same official family undesirable
At one time since then there was
ground for the belief that a rupture
might be avoided, but this belief ceased
to be held when the news spread that
Vice President Hobart and Secretary
Alger were in conference at Norman
hurst.
Tender of Resignation.
II was largely at least as a result of
this conference that Sc; I taTy Alger de-
cided to leave the cabinet at this time
At this conference there were present
besides Secretary AlGer, his military
aide and close personal and political
friend and adviser. Major Hopkins. and
perhaps some other person or persons
who felt also a deep interest in the flu
ture of the secretary. There has been
no disclosure of what passed. but it is
significant that the return of the sec
rotary to Washington was followed by
prompt action. He arrived in Washing
ton last night. too late to make any
official calls. Almost before the execu-
tive departments We're opened for bus
mess this morning he called at the
White House, and, visiting the presi-
dent in his office. announced that he
had concluded to resign his Office.
What passed between himself AMI the
president is only a matter of surmise
for neither has anything to say on this
point.
Later Secretary Alger wrote out his
formal letter of resignation and per
sonally carried it over to the White
House His call ON this occasion was
brief, and when ne returned to the var
department he closed the door OF his
office to most of the callers who We're
in waiting and had long conference
with Adjutant General Corbin.
To the newspaper men who sought TO
secure some expression from him. the
secretary was courteous, but firm. On
the one side, General COrbin, and on
the other Mr.. Victor Mason. his pl-
vate secretary, by his authority. as
they said, made the announcement that
Secretary Alger had submitted his res
ignation TO the president 10 take effect
at the pleasure of the president.
Alger Will Not Talk.
At his residence in the evening. the
secretary was equally uncommunica-
i've, ana pOSlllNSlY UtCiiIlGu 10
any reason for the action he had taken
He had called during the afternoon on
Secretary Hay at the state department,
and with him at home We're Major
Hopkins and Mr.. Mason, but beyond
the newspaper men, few of whom Sc
cured access TO him. the secretary saw
no one.
His plans for the future have already
been defined. Mr.. Meiklejohn. the as
sistant secretary of war, is at present
supposed to be in Wisconsin. whittier
he went two weeks ago to make per-
sonal inspection of the Fox river i'm
provements, a scheme which has given
the engineering bureau endless trouble.
and which now requires some positive
recommendation at the hands of the
secretary to congress ar the next ses-
sion. He has been notified of what has
happened. and is expected to return to
Washington to assume charge of the
war department until such time as the
president shall name a permanent sec
rotary.
Probably that will be by the end of
the present month. and by the LIST of
August Secretary Alger will be at lib
erty TO lay down his task. He is much
wearied by the weight of responsibility
he has borne for nearly two years and
half; he has aged many years in the
opinion of mis- personal friends, and is