Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-07-27
Mr.. ALGER QUITS.
The Secretary Of War Tenders His
Resignation.
His Action Surprised the Washington
Officials. the Opinion Having Seen
General that Ele Would He
main i'm the Cabinet Until
January, 1900.

Washington, July 20.-Secretary AL
ger yesterday rendered to the presi
dent his resignation of the war port
folio. The resignation will become
effective August /, though it was ten
dered lat the pleasure of the presi
dent Gossip has begun already as
to his successor, but is entirely specu-
lative, for notwithstanding the reports
that Mr.. Alger would not long CON
tinue at the head of the war depart
mcnt. his actual resignation came un
eNpectedIy. That it would come by
the end of the year was generally be-
Iievcd. but so little was it expected at
this time that some of the cabinet Of
ficcrs when the news first became pub
lie were inclined TO regard the an
nouncement as premature, the an
nouncement that it was actually in
band seeming to them in the nature
OF a surprise.
Formal acceptance of the resigna-
ton had not been made by the presi-
dent up TO late hour last night, but
will he i'm a letter to be written with
in the next day or two. No official
statement as to the cause of the resig-
nation was procurable either from the
president or Secretary Alger.
The belief has prevailed in Washing
ton for some time that Secretary Al
ger would resign from the cabinet, but
the date generally set for il was to-
wards the close of the year, after he
had submitted his annual report. in
which ne intended to sum up what had
been accomplished during his brief but
eventful direction of the war depart
ment. Its tender then had been re-
garded as almost a foregone conclu-
sion. in view of Mr.. Alger's announce
nent about a month ago that !
had concluded TO compete for .e
vacancy in the United States senate
TO be caused by the expiration Of the
term of Senator Mcmillan, strong
supporter of the administration. and
that he had enlisted in his support
Gov. Pingrec, to whom had been
attributed free criticisms of the policy
that was supposed to be cherished by
the president towards 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 presi-
dent and himself 10 such a degree as to
make a restoration of their former
status impossible and to render the
connection of the .wo as part of the
same official family undesirable. At
one time since there was ground for
the belief that Il rupture might be
avoided. but this belief ceased to be
held when the news spread that Vice
President Hobart and Secretary Alger
in fnr nt
It was largely as result of this
conference that Secretary Alger de-
cided to leave the cabinet at this time
At this conference there were present
beside Secretary Alger, his military
aide. and close personal and political
second and advisor. Ma j. Hopkins and
perhaps some other persons who felt
deep interest in the future of the
secretary. There has been no dSclo-
sure of what has passed by the seaside.
but it is significant that the return of
the secretary 10 Washington was fol-
lowed by prompt action.
He arrived in Washington Tuesday
night. too late TO make any political
calls Almost before the executive
departments were opened for business
in the morning he called at the White
House and. visiting the president in
his office. announced that he had con
cluded to resign his office.
Secretary Ayers departure from the
cabinet will leave in it only three of
'hc members who entered it at the
beginning of the administration, name.
" Mcssrs. Gage. Long and Wilson. The
number of changes that have occurred
in the two and d half years of its life
has been unusual. Six cabinet officers
have resigned their portfolios, either
to retire to private life or to accept
other positions of honor and trust ut
the hands of the president. These
include Secretaries of State Sherman
and Day; Attorney General McKenna,
who accepted a position on the SUI
preme court bench of the United
States: Postmaster General Gary.
who retired because of i'll health,
and Secretary Bliss, of the in
terror department. who returned to
New York and resumed active con.
nection with business affairs.
Mr.. Meikeliohn. the assistant secre-
tary of war, is at present in Washing
He is expected to return to Washing
ton to assume charge of the war de-
partmcnt until such time as the presi
dent shall name a permanent secre.
tary.