Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-20
Suddenness of His Resignation
Was Surprise.
EXPECTED, BUT NOT so SOON.
neikleiohn Likely to Have Charge of the
Department For Time-Gossip About
Probable Succe>sors-Corbin Said He
Was Sorry.

WIS rendered at the pleasure OF the
president. Gossip began as to his sue.
cessor, but it was entirely speculative,
for Notwithstanding the reports that
Mr.. AlgeysHonld not long continue at
the hs4 the war department his
actual ze3e elation came suddenly and
unexpectedly. That it would come by
the end Of the year was generally be-
hev ii. but so little was it expected at
this time that some of the cabinet Off
GERS when the news first became public
We're inclined to regard the announce
ment as premature, the announcement
that 1t was actually i'll hand coming to
them in the nature of surprise. For
NAL acceptance of the resignation. it
was said, will be made in letter to be
written within tine next day or two.
! No official statement as to the cause
of the resignation was procurable either
| from the president or from secretary
| Alger, neiener 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 sever
ance o. the official relations between the
president and his war minister. but
later on the official correspondence clos
ing the latter's career as chief of the
war department doubtless will be given
Co the press.
The belief has prevailed in Washing
ton for some time that Secretary Alger
would resign from the cabinet, but the
date generally set for it was toward the
close of the year after he had submit
ted his annual report. in which he in
tended to sum up what had been ac.
complished dvring his brief but event.
full direction of the war department.
Its tender then had been regarded as al
most foregone conclusion in view of
Mr.. Alger's announcement about
month ago that he had concluded to en-
ter into competition for the vacancy in
the United States senate to be caused
by the expiration of the term of Sena-
tor Mcmillan, a strong supporter of the
administration, and that he had en-
listed in mis- active support Governor
Pingree, 10 whom had been attributed
free criticisms of the policy that was
supposed to be cherished by the presi-
dent toward the Filipinos. There had
been many explanations and denlals of
the facts ID that case, but in the end the
impression was conveyed that the re-
suit of the Michigan visit of the secre-
tary had been to change the relations
between the president and himself to
such degree as TO make a restoration
of their former 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, il was said for the belief that
a rupture might be avoided, but later
the news spread that Vice President
Hobart and Secretary Alger We're in
conference at NOrmanhurst. 1t was
largely at least as a result OF this con-
ference that Secretary Alger decided 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
advisor, Major Hopkins, and perhaps
some other persons or person. There
had been no disclosure of what passed
by the seaside, but it was significant
that the return of the secretary to
Washington was followed by prompt
action. He arrived in Washington the
other night, too late to make any official
calls. Almost before the executive de-
partments were opened for business in
the morning he called at the White
House and visiting the president in his
Office announced that he had concluded
to resign his Office.
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 between
the president and the secretary and
then Mr.. Alger went over to his Office |
and spent some time with General Will
son, chief of engineers, and Major
Hopkins, looking into the merits of a
controversy which had arisen over the |
construction of drawbridge over a |
navigable sTream in Michigan. Major |
Hopkins had returned from personal |
inspection of the locality and had pre-
pared report on the subject. Several |
times they were interrupted by Adju- |
tant General Corbin, who had some |
pressing current business requiring the |
personal action of the secretary to bring |
to his attention.
This attended to, Secretary Alger
wrote out his formal letter of resigna-
tion and personally carried it over to
the White House. His call on this oc-
casion was brief, and when he returned |
to the war department he closed the |
door of his Office to most of the many
callers who were in waiting and had
long conference with Adjutant 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 private Sec
rotary, by his authority, as they said,
made the announcement that Secretary
Alger had submitted his resignation to
the president, to take effect at the pleas
ure of the president.
At his residence in the evening the
secretary was equally uncommunicative
and positively declined to assign any
reason for the action he had taken. He |
had called during the afternoon upon
Secretary Hay at the state department
Mr. Meiklejohn, the assistant secre-
tary of war, was supposed to be in Wis
consiu. He was expected to return to
Washington.
The members of the cabinet were all
to talk about the succession,
though one did remark that the Presi-
dent had made no mention of a name
10 him, and he believed that no de-
cision had yet been reached. he also
the impression that no ap-
pointment would be made Immediately,
but that Mr.. Meikleiohn would be al
owed to direct affairs for some time to
Dme. Among the names which have
feeu mentioned from time TO time
when talk of Secretary Alger's forth
coming resignation has been rife were
those of General Horace Porter OF New
I ork, now ambassador to France, Gov
5rnor Roosevelt of New York, General
Harrison Gray Otis and Assistant Sec
retary MeikieJohn. The name of Gem
eral Corbin had been mentioned in con-
pectiop with an ad interim appoint.