The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-07-03
PINGREE STICKS TO ALGER
4 SWEEPING DENIAL OF RECENTLY
 PUBLISHED INTERVIEW.
Claims 1t is the Invention of Il Reporter Voted for Mckinley and Will sup- port Him Again-Win Also Help Secretary AIger in His Senatorial Aspirations.

port Him Again-Win Also Help
 Secretary AIger in His Senatorial
 Aspirations.
 Detroit, July Ex-Governor Pingree to-
 night despatched a letter to Secretary
 Alger brought out by criticisms of the
 secretary and the numerous comments
 recently published concerning the agree
 ment made by the governor to support
 Secretary Alger in his campaign for the
 United States senatorship. The letter
 Is as follows:
 My deal general: I subscribe to a
 clipping bureau and I 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 be an in-
 terview with me in which criticisms of
 the resentadministratio are put in my
 mouth. I am astonished at the circula-
 ton and credence which this alleged in
 terview has received. I would not take
 cognizance of it were it not for the fact
 that it seems to have been so widely
 circulated, and also for the reason that
 there are so many people who have yet
 to learn that what is termed political news and opinion are as unreliable, in- accurate and prejudiced as the newspa- perman's ingenuity and cunning can make them.
 Tt did not seem to me necessary to deny the interview I would not now give it thought whatever were it not for the fact that it is made the basis of a petty and mean. spirited attack upon you which is, however, but a natural product of small caibre intellects The interview to which I have referred is pure fabrication. There is not a single sentence in it which was spoken by me. It is he invention of reporter who may or may not have been acting under in- structions from his chief.
 T have at different times expressed my opinion of the necessity for the war in the Philippines. I have, in common with thousands of others in the coun- | try, disapproved of it, and have had no hesitation in giving my views whenever l have been asked for them. I voted | for MT. Mckinley and l have had no cause whatever to regret it. If he is a | candidate again I will take pleasure in | giving him my support.
 Tt has always seemed to me that the l criticism by newspapers of the manage l ment of the war department has | amounted to a condemnation not only | of the present, but of the entire cabinet. | It is well known that no important step | is taken without the concurrence or at | least the advice of the president and the cabinet. I am well satisfied that | the attack upon the war department is nothing but a cunningly conceived plot to create vacancy to be filled by any politician 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, it is not surprising that Senator McMillin and his me too Senator Burrows have joined in the contemptibe scheme
  ment.
 "In so far as the alleged alliance is concerned I can freely and frankly say that none has been made. As you are aware, I simply proffered you my sup port in your candidacy for United States senator and only wanted to know whether you were In favor of an amend ment to the constitution of the United (, &l, States senators by direct vote of the people. I was glad to be advised by \ you that you favored the restriction of trusts but neither of these things was made the condition of my support. In common with thousands of other Mich igan people, I merely offered to assist you. If anything, I have profited by it politically, because the American peo- pie detest cowardly methods of fight ing.
 'The language which is attributed to me i'll the false interview in which I am made to criticise and abuse the admin istration, should have condemned the in- terview as fabrication at once But even more absurd is the statement made by the press that I am an avowed can- didate for president at the next national that you nave made an al liance with me, and that therefore you have practically declared your opposi- tion to President Mckinley and should retire from his cabinet. Of course such , a statement is too silly to require atten- ton. It is sufficient to say to you that , I have not and never did entertain the , idea of becoming q candidate for the presidency The story is only another f invention of Michigan newspapers. i
 T think the time is not far distant C when public opinion will compel news i rapers to be fair and decent in their treatment of men in public life. Unless ( 1t does I am convinced that the only f course to pursue is to ignore their ma C licious attacks. Attempts to correct ', their reports only result in provoking ' a more liberal outpouring of editorial f venim. After all it is well to remember ' that a newspaper represents the opinion of only one man and that that opinion is generally influenced by every motive except a desire to do full justice. The lime is not far distant when the people will awake to this fact and when they ( do there will be a radical change in the I policv of conducting the newspapers of l the country. :
 "Regretting all the unwarrantable lib- i