The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-20

Positively Refuses to- Discuss the
Cause of His Sudden Determine
ton to Leave the Cabinet-Pres-
1dent and Members of His Onictnl
Family Equally Averse to Talk
ing on the Subject.
WASHINGTON, July 19.-Secretary AL
ger today rendered to the president his
resignation of the war portfolio. The
resignation will become effective Aug. l.
though it was rendered "at the pleasure
Of the president
Gossip has begun already as to his suc.
cessor, but 1t IS entirely speculative for
notwithstanding the reports that Mr.. ALI
ger would not long continue at the head
Of the war department, his actual resig-
nation came suddenly and unexpectedly.
Ihat 1t would come by the end of the
year was generally believed, but so little
was 1t expected at this time that some
or the cabinet officers when the news
first became public, were inclined to re-
gard the announcement as premature,
tho 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 I'D to
late hour tonight, but it will be in a
letter to be written within the next day
or two. No official statement as to the
cause of the resignation was procurabIe.
either fom the president nor from Secre-
tary Alger, neither of whom would talk
on the subject. Nor was the letter of
resignation obtainable at this time For
the present nothing will be made known
officially concerning the severance 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 will be given to the press.
RESIGNATION NO SURPRISE.
The belief has prevailed In Washington
for some time that Secretary Alger would
resign from the cabinet, but the date gem
orally set for it was toward the end of
the year, after he had submitted his an
nual report, in which he intended to sum
up what had been accomplished during
his brief but eventfuI direction of the
war department It's tender then had
been regarded as almost a foregone con-
ciusion, in view of Mr.. Alger's announce
ment about month ago that he had con-
cluded to enter into competition for the
vacancy in the United States senate to
be caused by the expiration Of the term of
senator Mcmillan, a strong supporter Of
the administration, and that he had en-
listed in his active support Gov Pingree.
who had repeatedly made free criticisms
OF the attitude which was supposed to
be cherished by the president towards the
F1llp1noS. There have been many expla-
nations and denials of the facts in that
case, but in the end the impression was
conveyed that the result of the Michigan
visit OF the secretary had been to change
the relations between the president and
himself to such a degree as to make a
restoration of their former status i'm
possible, and to render the connection of
the two as part of the same official fam
lily undesirable.
PINGREE INCIDENT
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 AL
ger were in conference at Normanhurst.
1t was largely at least as a result Of
this conference that Secretary Alger de-
cided to leave the cabinet at this time
besides Secretary Alger, his military aide
and close personal and political friend
and adviser, Maj. Hopkins, and perhaps
some other persons or person who also
felt a deep interest in the future of the
secretary. There has been no disclosure
of what passed by the seaside but 1t is
significant that the return of the secre-
tary to Washington was followed by
prompt action. He arrived in Washing
ton last night, too late to make any Off
cial calls. Almost before the executive
departments were opened for business
this morning he called at the White
house and, visiting the president in his
office, announced that he had concluded
to resign. What passed on that point
between himself and the president is only
a matter of surmise, for neither have
anything to say on this point.
Some routine business pertaining to
the war department was disposed of be-
tween the president and the secretary,
and then Mr.. Alger went over to his
office and spent some time with Gen.
Wilson, chief of engineers, and Maj. Hop
kins, looking into the merits of a con-
troversy which had arisen over the con-
struction of draw bridge over nav
igable stream in Michigan. Maj. Hop
kins had just returned from personal
inspection of the locality and had pre-
pared a report on the subject Several
times they were interrupted by Adjt.
ten. COrDln, VINO naQ some matters OF
pressing current business requiring the
personal action of the secretary to bring
to his attention. This attended to Secre-
tary Alger wrote out his formal letter of
resignation, and personally carried 1t
over to the White house. His call on the
occasion was brief, and when he re-
turned to the war department he closed
the door of his Office to most of the many
callers who were in waiting and had a
long conference with Adtt. Gen. Corbin.
DECLINED TO TALK.
To the newspaper men who sought to
secure some expression from him, the
secretary was courteous but firm. On the
one side Gen. Corbin and on the other Mr..
Victor Mason, his private secretary by
his authority, as they said. made the an
nc cuncement that Secretary Alger had
submitted his resignation to the presi-
dent, to take effect at the pleasure Of tho
president.
At his residence this evening the secre-
tary was equally uneommunicat1ve, and
positively declined to assign 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 were Maj. Hopkins and Maj.
Wilson, but beyond newspaper men, few
of whom secured access to himself, the
secretary saw no one.