Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-22
PINGREE VERY INDIGNANT
Attacks the President and Alleges Ger.
tain Things Regarding the Re-
tireinent of Aiger.

DETROIT, July Ex-Governor Pingree
handed The Associated Press prepared
signed interview on the Alger resigna
ton, the information he said he did not
secure from Alger, but from a reliable
source.
AT the outset, the governor says: 90
have no hesitation i'll saying that the
course pursued by the president, i'll thi
matter. is little less than cOwardly. L
is, to say the least. very unmanly."
Proceeding he says that repeatedly
since the eastern newspapers bega IL theiI
attack upon Secretary Alger, the secre-
tary informed the president that if
these press comments embarrassed the
administration he would resign at once,
but the president said he had the utmost
confidence i'll AigeE and his conduct OF
the war department and the country
could not afford to lose his services.
The governor said that at the time his
alleged alliance" with General Alger
was announced, and before his dis
ayowal of interviews criticizing the
president had reached Washington
Genel;l Alger told the president that
upon tBt III llCSt
ton, he would resign, but the president
refused to entertain the idea.
As to the alleged alliance being
amy reason for asking for Alger's resig-
nation, Governor Pingree says that
long before mis- announcement that he
would support AIger for the senate,
Secretary Hay, on June 2, requested
Vice President Hobart to intimate to
L..
would be acceptable to the president
and would relieve him from the en-
barrassing attacks OF the press on the
conduct of the war. Mr.. hobart very
properly declined and expressed his
opinion i'll terms decidedly vigorous.
After that General Alger several
times offered to resign. General Alger
finally did hand his resignation to the
president to take effect Jan. 3
Governor Plngree states that Mr.. Ho-
bart was finally prevailed upon by At
torney General Griggs to convey to the
secretary that his resignation was de-
sired, and gave my alleged alliance
with the secretary as a preteXt."
The governor said Alger's sacrifice
was compelled by New York politi-
clans, backed by the ''unscrupulous and
heartless press. tie predicted that 1t
will be learned that the president him
self has been responsible for whatever
mistakes have been made in conducting
the war
He said: Il am told on the very best
authority that General Alger made
very few appointments of officers dur
ing the war, and the commissions were
issued almost entirely OH the orders of
the president"
The governor alleged that the more
recent attacks upon AIger in the east
We're caused by his frank declaration of
opposition to trusts, and he added that
"there is Il decided Odor of trusts around
the present administration, with Mark
Hanna as the acknowledged king
maker -
1t was conjectmed here that Briga-
der General Henry NJ. Duffield gave
some of the foregoing information, but
the general declined to be interviewed.
Chase S. Osborn, state railroad COM
missioner, who was reputed to be Gen
eral Alger's representative in preparing
for the senatorial campaign, spent sew
eral hours at the governors residence
supposedly assisting Ill preparing of the
governors statement.