The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-20
ALCER OFFERS !.
H|S RESIGNATION
Continued From Fifth Page)
President to take effect at the pleasure
of the President.

Of the President.
At his residence in the evening the
Secretary was equally unconnnunlcative
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.
and with him at home were Major Hop
kins and Mr.. Mason. The Secretary
saw no one but a few newspaper men
who called.
His plans for the future have already
been defined Mr. Meikejohn the AS
sistant Secretary of War, is at present
supposed to be in Wisconsin, whittier he
went two weeks ago TO make Il personal
inspection Of the Fox River Improve
ments. a scheme which has given the
Engineering Bureau endless trouble,
and which now requires some positive
recommendation at the hands of the
Secretary to Congress at the next SEES
sion. He has been notified of what has
happened, and is expected to return to
Washington to assume charge or the
War Department until such time as the
President shall name Il permanent Sec
retary. Probably that will be by the
end Of the present month.
Secretary Alger is mach weared by
the weight of responsibility he has borne
for nearly two years and half and
has aged many years in the opinion Of
his personal friends, and is in need of
rest. He proposes to depart for the
Northwest and spend some time in the
lumber camps belonging to him, and
then to pay visits to his children. This
will occupy his time until we'll along into
next fail. About political matters he
does not speak now, but it may be fairly
surmised that he then will be ready.
in view of his already announced de-
cision. to take such part in the Miohi-
gan Senatorial contest as conditions at
that time will warrant.
The closest inquiry fails to elicit any
information as to the intentions of the
President respecting the appointment of
a successor to Mr.. Alger as Secretary on
War. Names are mentioned, bur they
are only those which have already been
suggested with more or less of plausi-
bility in the press without securing
either confirmation or denial from any
well-informed persons. The members
of the Cabinet were all disinclined To
talk about the succession, though one
did remark that the President had made
no mention of name To him. and he be-
reached.
The news of the resignation caused a
buzz of comment this evening in all pub
lie places, but at the White House there
was no evidence throughout the evening
that any unusual event had occurred.
The President went for drive with his
niece. Miss Duncan. late in the after
noon, handling the reins himself There
early part OF the evening. but about 9
o'clock Secretary Hay. accompanied by
Senator Fairbanks. of Indiana. came
over for a talk ON this subject. Secre-
tary- Hitchcock and Comptroller Dawes
called for a few minutes. There was no
evidence Of Cabinet conferences and
no suggestion of anything in that line
There was nothing to- give out for ,publi-
cation. it was said. An evening round
of the Cabinet officers still in town show
ed the same unwilingness to talk of the
resignation.
Adjutant General Corbin was seen
during the evening, and while not wish
ing 10 discuss any of the facts connected
with the resignation. expressed his per-
sonal regret at the turn of affairs. He
said:
Il feel great sympathy and great re-
spect for the Secretary. History will
show that if he has erred it has been
on the side of the soldier. on the side
of those who We're fighting the battles.
No man in that position has ever had
more mt heart the interests of the sol
diers, their comfort and their welfare.
Time and again he has said to us that
everything must yield before the require
ments of the meh in the field and if the
funds were lacking he would pay for it
himself. lie will leave the department
with the respect and esteem of every
one in it,"
Secretary Ayers departure from the
Cabinet will leave in it only three Of
those members who entered it at the
beginning Of the Administration namely
Messrs. Gage, Long and Wilson. The
number Of changes that have occurred in
the two and half years Of its life have
been very unusual. Six Cabinet officers
in all have resigned their portfolios eth
er to retire to private. life or to accept
other positions of honor and trust ut the
hands of the President. These include
Secretary of State Sherman. who went
out because of ill health and advanced
age. and Secretary Day. who accepted
a United States Judgeship. Attorney
General McKenna accepted positions on
the bench of the Supreme court. Post
master General Gary who resigned be-
cause Of i'll health and Secretary Bliss of
the Interior Department who returned
to New York and resumed active con-
nection with business affairs.
The transfer Of Attorney General
Griggs from the Department of Justice
to the War Department has been sug-
gested by those who are figuring ON Sec.
rotary Ayers successor tonight. 1t is
urged that the largely increased humble.
of legal questions which are constantly
coming before the War Department as
a consequence Of our new possessions
make it desirable that it's executive off
Ger should be a nam Of legal attain
ments and experience. In this same con
nection the name of Hon. Elihu Root,
the well-known New York lawyer, is
mentioned
Gen. Jas. II. Wilson. of Delaware.
now on the volunteer establishment and
Governor of the Province of Natanzos