The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-25
ALGER'S RESIGNATION!
GOV. PIN0REE ASSAILS THE
PRESIDENT.
But This Is Only One Side of the
Story.

Detroit, Mich, July Ex-Governor
Pingree today handed to the Associated
Press a prepared signed interview,
giving what the Governor asserts to be
''facts which are absolutely reliable,
bearing upon the relations between
General Alger and President Mckinley
with which the public are not familiar.
At the outset the Governor says: 81
have no hesitation in saying that the
course pursued by the President, in this
matter, is little less than cowardly. 1t
is, to say the least, very unmanly."
Governor Pingree said his informa-
tion did not come from General Alger,
but from Zone whose knowledge of the
facts cannot be disputed"
Proceeding, he says that repeatedly
since the Eastern newspapers began
their attacks upon Secretary Alger, the
Secretary informed the President that
if these press comments embarrassed
the administration in the slightest
degree he would resign at once; but
the President as often protested en-
phatically that he had the utmost con-
fidence in Secretary Alger and his
conduct of the War Department, and
that the country could not afford to
LOSE HIS SERVICES.
The Governor says that at the time
his alleged alliance" with General
Alger was announced, and before his
disavowal of interviews criticizing the
President had reached Washington,
General Alger told the President that
upon the Presidents slightest intima-
tion he would resign; but the President
refused to entertain the idea for a mo-
ment.
AS to the "alleged alliance" being
any reason for asking for General
Alger's resignation, Governor Pingree
says: ''Long before my announcement
that would support General Alger for
the Senate, Secretary of State Hay, on
June last, requested Vice President
Hobart to intimate to General Alger
that his resignation would be acceptable
to the President, and would relieve
him from the embarrassing attacks of
the press upon the conduct of the war.
Mr.. Hobart very promptly declined to
be a party to such an unmanly, not to
say cowardly, proceeding, and express
ed his opinion in terms decidedly
vigorous.
"After that General Alger, entirely
ignorant of this miserable conspiracy,
several times offered to end the attacks
by submitting his resignation; but still
the President did not have the courage
to express himself to his Secretary.
General Alger did finally hand his
resignation to- the President, to take
effect January 2.
General in manly way and ask him
to retire, and give reasons for making
the request. He finally accomplished
by indirection what he dared not do in
an open and frank manner himself"
GOVERNOR PINGREE
states that Mr.. Hobart was finally pre-
vailed upon by Attorney General Griggs
to convey to the Secretary that his res
lignation was desired, and "gave my al
legged allegiance with the Secretary as
a pretext."
Commenting upon the matter, the
Governor says that General AlgeFs
sacrifice" was compelled by demands
of New York politicians, backed by the
''unscrupulous and heartless press" He
predicts that it will be learned ''that
the President himself has been respon-
sible for whatever mistakes have been
made in conducting the war;"
He adds: 81 am told on the very best
authority that General Alger made very
few appointments of officers during the
war, and that the commissions were is
sued almost entirely upon the orders
of the President"
The Governor alleges that the more
recent attacks upon Alger in the East
were caused by his frank declaration
of opposition to the trusts, and he adds
that s'there is decided odor of trusts
around the present administration, with
Mark Hanna as the acknowledged