New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-04
ALGER AND PINGREE.
,r SECRETARY WILL NOT BE ASKED
TO RESIGN.
ryrY OF THE GOVERNOR TO THE AO-
.,,.,,srRATIoN NOTORIOUS. IN SPITE
OF HIS DIsAvOwALs,
Inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

H,nston July 3-The letter OF Governor
w. 20 Secretary Alger published this morn
.,,rnrises no one acquainted with the Gov
"e habit OF disavowing his utterances when
~ confront him in cold type and ascribing
- 20 the editorial venom" OF the writer's
% their inability Ito be fair and decent in
,,r treatment Of men in public life. After
W. exclalms the indignant Governor Of Michi-
.qt is we'll to remember that newspaper
e,ssents the opinion Of only one man. and that
.s,r,on IS usually Influenced by every motive
Ur Vent q desire to do full Justice The time is
-. far distant when the people will awake TO
.h's fact and when they do there will be
..s,cal change in the policy Of conducting the
.swspapers OF the country. and especially in
heir treatment of public men,"
Having freed his mind in this gentle fashion
~ the subject Of newspapers and newspaper
,en. the Governor informs Secretary Alger-as
,,,he latter stood in need Of enlightenment-that
se Cpingree) thinks the Administration Of Presi-
ssnt Mckinley, on the whole, 10 be a pretty
nood one and that those who had accused him
1pngree) of hostility TO it are, not to put too fine
, mint upon il, wful and malicious liars. On
tho subject OF expansion. II is true, he Pngree)
NAV differ from the Administration, but that
g,tIe difference will not prevent him any more
than II has in the past from voting cheerfully
and vociferously for Mckinley. Incidentally
be rer,arks that ut is not surprising that Sen
stor Mcmillan and his Me. too Senator Bur
,cws. have Joined in the contemplate scheme TO
aiscredit and defame the War Department
But this as Kipling would say, is another
story
EASY TO GET A LINE ON PINGREE.
II Is fortunate-or perhaps Mr.. Pngree will
,onsider II unfortunate-that the newspapers
are not reduced to the necessity of depending
anon the reported utteranCes Of the Governor
,or the purpose Of getting a correct notion as 10
rhat he may or may not think on any one sub
lect from the problem involving the quadrature
II the circle to the difficulty of imbuing potato
bug with the manners Of a gentleman He has
yritten-and sometimes we-on variety OF
mbtects, and on none more clearly or with great
~ official solemnity than his relations 70 the Ad-
ripistration at Washington In his annual mes
age 70 the Michigan State Legislature In Janu-
sry last, on the eve Of the election for Senator
De wrote as follows:
The present Legislature Of this State should not
,nly see 1t that the Senator they elect 10 repre-
NTH the necessity of immediate and vigorous action
the subject OF trusts and eomones but II shUutIS I
also memorialize Congress in the interest q suSh
egislation II would be proper reo4ke TO this Re
ca ae I'd aBssve has TSe % S s ke the
step 10 correct this monsirous abuse Iae Admin1e
subjects Of the spanish Monarchy, whether they
i've near coasts or at the other size OK OF me me
earth II has much TO say OF humanity ana Ils
tights; but the humanity which seems TO command
away and with whose affairs it has properly moth
ing little 10 do under the Constitution II E rs rne
I'M %ost in5sTssts
lion and Congress Of the United States. our own
aatve humanity has much more TO complain OF
isb ofisisl from the time Of Columbus to that Of
Weyler ever saddled them with such monstrous
ula 1TA O.
aay from the trusts and combines and monopolies
spon which most Of the great men OF the Repuoli-
.an party OF this day look with liberation, II not
The = men who are most notorious as the heads of
great monopolIes seem to be the most intimate
friends OF the present Administration and TO be the
U i've Outside The United States it being their we'll
defined purpose to divert attention from the out
SS 3cope are Concerned this Administration
seems 10 look upon them having no rights ex-
ssio S a FOR tSe tonoet Of foreign lands and the
.attening Of domestic mOnopolles
SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
This less than six months ago! And what a
eery, unbridled denunciation it Is! Was it the
opinion Of only one man." did II repr sse,r'-
the sentiments Of that political faction in Au|ni-
gan which, with Alger an ally. seeks to
compass the defeat OF two stanch supporters OF
the Administration In the United States Sen
ate? Was It a petty and mean-sprited at
tack" or the natural product OF a small-calibre
intellect? Or is the message TO be put In the
category Of political news which the Governor
in his letter TO Secretary Alger characterzes to
be "as unreliable inaccurate and prejudced as
the newsps e. mans ingenuity and cunning can
make them! These are some of the questions
people have been asking themselves to-day.
without being able to elicit either from the
Secretary or others Of the Governors friends in
Washington a satisfactory reply.
What is thought Of Pngree in his own home,
where he is intimately known. and what is said
OF his habit Of abusing the newspapers when an
correct report of his utterances
appears in print, were set forth with every lndi-
cation of truthfuness by The Detroit Even
ing News" the other day, long before the Gov
ernOr's latest anathema against the press was
permitted to the light. 1T is doubtful said
The News" ~ there is public man in the
United States who owes so much 10 the news
papers az Pingree does for not reporting pre-
cisely what he says. If he is reported as at
tacking the Administration or anything else
the reader can always rest assured that the
language printed has been greatly Softened as
compared with the terms the Governor actually
used Mr.. Alger is as well aware OF thls as any
citizen Of Michigan. The Governor does not pick
his words; he just blurts out the first that come
10 his tongue and they are forcible as a rule.
although they may not always be elesaht enough
for the chastity Of the types
ALGER's RESIGNATION NOT TO BE ASKED.
AS 10 the attitude or secretary anger IL may
be said authoritatively that he has no thought
at present Of resignng and that he will not be
esked TO resign If he leaves the Cabinet II Will
be voluntarily on his part and at time or MS
own choosing He has. IT Is said. consulted
many friends as TO the proper course to be pur-
sued in the midst OF the conditions confronting
him on all sides Their advice, solicited under
such delicate circumstances, Is, strangely
enough said to have pointed only IN one dlrec-
ton. Equally strange. IL is related, is the I'M
preston produced upon the Secretarys nina,
10 wit that the advice so received points IN the
direction exactly opposite to that Indicated oy
those who gave the advice.
SQUABBLES on THE FRENCH SHOhh'