The times., 1899-07-04
DEPosING MIR. ALGER.
The President Mny Have Mapped
Ont the Way

| Ont the Way.
An interesting explanation of the Me
kinley- -Alger Pingree affair transpired
yesterday atsthe White House when an in
innate friend of the Administration was
beguiled into making the following i'm
portant disclosure in reference to Secre-
tary Alger's recent experiments with polit-
ical combinations in Michigan and else
where:
The fact is said the Administration
man, that the President is at the bottom
of this whole affair Ever since the beef
investigation began and the complaints
commenced to pour in upon the President
Mr.. Mckinley has been trying his best
| to contrive some method by which he could
get rid of Alger without offending the
Secretary of Wars delicate organism. For
a long time the case seemed hopeless.
| With his usual tactful patience the Presi-
dent waited, trusting that something would
happen whereby he might part company
with his Secretary of War satisfactorily
to both himself and Mr.. Alger. The Presi-
| dent thought that as the complaints in
\ creased in kind and in degree, the Secreta
would himself realize the Administration $
embarrassment and would speedily and VOL
| unfairly give up the War portfolio. But
Mr.. Alger held on insistently, and the
President could only mop his brow during
the hot May and June days and. like
celebrated character in fiction still trust
that something would turn up.
FINALLY, however, Mr.. Mckinley got
| desperate. He threw off all disguise went
to Alger in straightforward manner. and
candidly explained the situation to the
! Secretary of War. He told Mr.. Alger that
the welfare of the Administration demand
| ed Ayers leaving the Cabinet. He did not
wish to be inconsiderate He recognized
Mr. Alger's services to the party during
the campaign He appreciated his efforts
IN the War Department. He was moved
| by every personal consideration to retain
| MIN as Secretary of War Personally IL
| would be most painful to part company
with MIR. Alger, and he delivered score
more OF pleasing platitudes which a COM
mencement orator might address to grad
uating class of young ladies decked out in
white dresses with pink sashes
But expostulated the President. Il
must request you to resign. The country
demands it, The party requires it. You
can put your resignation in any form you
please. You can assign whatever motive
| you like. You may even let il appear that
| am the culpable party. I'm willing, my
good friend, to take a little blame-yes, all
of it-if you can contrive to give up the
speaking so plainly. But l have plan
whereby you can stir up nasty row with
me and get out of the Cabinet on the
ground that you are persona non grata
10 the President. You want to succeed
Mcmillan in the Senate. Very well. Now,
| you know that fellow, Pingree, in Detroit
| is not in love with me. He's not in love
with our way of doing things. Very we'll
Now, ! would suggest that you go out to
witt
gree. Combine with him. Come out in
an interview and endorse Pingree's plans
| in Michigan. You know he pretends to
oppose trusts and combinations. and boss
| ism, and all those schoolboy notions. Very
we'll You get in with Pingree, take high
moral position on municipal government
Cry out against bossism. Attack the
trusts. Speak up strong for the down
trodden, plain people. And. if you can
manage to do so, throw out a word or
two mildly endorsing socialism. That will
please certain faction in Michigan. II
will win over Pingree and his crowd. II
will kill Mcmillan. 1t will elect you to
the Senate.
During all this talk the Secretary of
War listened first with astonishment. later
with interest. and finally with satisfaction.
Now said the President when you
come back from Michigan I'll pretend to
be highly incensed at your conduct /
shall not attempt to conceal my great dis
pleasure. I'll get Griggs or Gage to tell
you that feel that you have betrayed and
| deserted me-that you are no longer per-
soma grata to the President Then you
can affect to be highly indignant. Yes.
you can act and talk just as you please.
You can throw the Independent bluff. if
you like. And be sure to get ii all in the
newspapers. Have long interview. Give
the reporters plenty of tall talk about
your self-respect being dearer than the
highest official position, and all that sort
| of stuf-you understand. Then get on
your very coldest dignity. write me brief,
curt letter. such as Blaine wrote to Harrison
in 1892, and resign the portfolio of War
In the hubbub that follows you'll escape
censure. The people-that is, the nine
tenths who never do any thinking-will
| forget all about the beef business. You'll
be martyr-the real thing-a yicarious
sacrifice. And what is more important,
you'll be elected to the United States Sem
ate
We'll sir" concluded the Administra-
tion man, that just shows you what a
politician Mckinley is. Would you believe
it, why, when the President got through
talking TO him, that man Alger was so
grateful that he almost wept. The next
day he left for Detroit. The rest has be-
come history"