Hutchinson gazette., 1899-07-06
HE REPUDIATES 1T.
Gov. Pingree Says a Recent Alleged
Interview Was Fabricated
WRITES A REMARKABLE LETTER,
AAe GIVeS His Reasons For supporting
AIger for senator. - A hOt
Roast for the News
.Ea papers, sl

Detroit, Mich, July 9.-Govcrnor
Pingree Saturday night dispatched II
letter to Secretary Alger, brought out
by criticisms Of the secretary and the
numerous comments recently pul lsh-
ed concerning the agreement nude by
the governor to support Secretary Az
ger In his campaign for the United
States senatorship. The letter IL aS
follows;
My Dear Genernl.-I subscribe TO n
clipping bureau, and l have within the
past few days been receiving large
numbers OF clippings from newspapers
published In every part OF the country
containing what purports TO le nn ln-
teryiew with me in which critcisms
OF the present administration are put
in my mouth. am nstonlshed ut the
circulation and credence which this
alleged interview has received. 1
would not take cognznnce OF II were
d not for the fact that It seems TO
have been so widely circulated, and
also for the reason that there are 80
many people who have yet to learn
that what is termed political news and
opinion are as unreliable, inaccurate
and prejudiced as the newspaper mans
ingenuity and cunning can make
them.
II did not seem TO me necessary 20
deny the interview. / would not now
give II any thought whatever were II
not for the fact that IL made the basis
of a petty and mean-spirlted attack
upon you, which Is, however, but a
natural product of small caliber In
tellectR.
The interview to whcih / have re.
ferred is pure fabrication. There Is
not single sentence in 1t which waa
spoken by me. 1t Is the invention of
reporter who may or may not have
been acting upon instructions from his
chief.
have at different times expressed
my opinion Of the necessity for the
war in the Philippines. have, in
common with thousands OF others in
the country, disapproved Of 1t, and
have had no hesitation In giving my
views whenever have been asked for
them. / voted for Mckinley and l
have no cause whatever to regret 1t.
II he is n candidate again, will take
pleasure in giving him my support,
II has always seemed to me that
the criticism by New York newspapers
of the management Of the war depart
ment has amounted to q condemnation
not only of the president but of the
entire cabinet. II is well known that
no important step Is taken without the
concurrence, or at least the advice, OF
the president, and the cabinet. am
well satisfied that the attack upon the
war department is nothing but n Gun.
ningly conceived plot to create va
cancy to be filed by New York poll
tician. Already the New York news
papers are discussing the distribution
of the patronage OF the department.
The other papers in the country have
simply repeated what the New York
newspapers have said, OF course. II
is not surprising that Senator McMil-
Ian and his "me too" Senator Burrows,
have joined in the contemplate
scheme to discredit and defame the
war department. Insofar as the al
legged alliance" with you is concerned,
/ can freely and frankly say that none
has been made.
AS you are already aware, simply
proffered you my support in your
candidacy for United States senator
and only wanted to know whether you
were in favor of an amendment to the
constitution of the United States per-
mitting the election of United States
senators by direct vote of the people
was glad to be advised by you that
you favored the restriction OF trusts,
but neither of these things was made
Che condition of my support. In COM
mon with thousands of other Michi-
gan people, merely offered to assist
you.
II anything, have profited by itI
politically, because the American peo-
pie detest cowardly methods OF fight
Ing. The language which is attribut-
ed to me in the false interview, in
which am made to criticise and abuse
the administration, should have con-
demned the interview as q fabrication
~ OhSCs bub CNcu IuOTe uDSuTU is J0e
statement made by the press that 1
am an avowed candidate for the Re-
publican nomination for president at
the next national convention; that
you have made an alliance with me,
and that, therefore, you have practi-
cally declared your opposition to
President Mckinley and should retire
from his cabinet.
OF course such statement is too
silly to be entitled to serious attention.
1t is sufficient to say to you that
have not, and never did, entertain the
remotest intention of becoming can
didate for the presidency. The story
ts only another inveNtion of Michigan
newspapers.
! think the time is not far distant
when public opinion will compel news
papers to be fair and decent in their
treatment Of men in public life. Until
1t does, am convinced that the only
course to pursue Is to ignore their