The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-03
PINGREE TO ALGER.
Michigan Governor Writes q
Lengthy Letter of Explanation.
j. G. Johnson,
Acting Secretary.

Michigan Governor Writes a
Lengthy Letter of Explanation.
DETROIT, Mich, July 2.-Gov. Pin
gree, tonight, dispatched a letter to Sec
retary Alger, brought about by criticisms
of the secretary and the numerous COM
ments recently published concerning the
agreement made by the governor to sup-
port Secretary Alger in his campaign for
the United States senatorship. The let
ter is as follows:
My Dear General; 1 subscribe to a
clipping bureau, and 1 have within the
past few days, been receiving large num-
bers of clippings from newspapers pub
llshed in every part of the country con-
tanning what purports to be an interview
with me in which criticisms of the pres
ent administration are put in my mouth
L am astonished at the circulation and
credence which this alleged interview has
received. l would not take cognizance
of it were 1t not for the fact that 1t seems
to nave been so widely circulated and
also for the reason that there are many
people who have yet to learn that what is
termed political news and opinion are as
unreliable, inaccurate and prejudiced as
the newspaperman's ingenuity and cum
ming can make them.
1T did not seem to me necessary to
deny the interview. 1 would not now
give 1t any thought whatever, were it
not for the fact that 1t is made the basis
OF petty and mean-spirited attack upon
you, which is, however, but a natural
product of small calibre intellects
The interview to which l have re-
ferred is pure fabrication. There is not
a single sentence in it that was spoken
by me. 1t is the invention of q reporter
who may or may not have been acting
upon instructions from his chief
L nave 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 country
disapproved of it and have had no hesita-
ton In giving my views whenever
have been asked for them l voted for
Mr.. Mckinley, and 1 have had no cause
whatever to regret it. If he is a candi-
date again 1 will take pleasure in giving
him my support.
1T has always seemed to me that the
criticism by New York newspapers of
the management of the war department
has amounted to a condemnation not only
of the president, but of the entire cabi-
net. 1t is well known that no important
step is taken without the concurrence
or at least the advice Of the president
and the cabinet
Il am well satisfied that the attack
upon the war department is nothing but
a cunningly conceived plot to create a
vacancy to be filled by a New York
politician. Already the New York news
papers are discussing the distribution Of
the patronage Of the department. The
other papers in the country have sim
ply repeated what the New York papers
have said. OF course it is not surprising
that Senator Mcmillan and his me too
Senator Burrows, have joined in the con-
temptible scheme to discredit and defame
the war department.
SO far as the alleged alliance with
you is concerned can freely and frankly
say that none has been made AS YOU
are already aware, 1 simply promised you
my support in your candidacy for the
United States senate, and only wanted
to know whether you were in favor of
an amendment to the constitution Of the
United States permitting the election
of United States senator by direct vote
of the people. l was glad to be advised
by you. that you favored the restriction
of trusts, but reither of these things
was made the condition of my support
In common with thousands of other
Michigan people I merely offered to as
sist you. If anything, I have profted by
it politically, because the American peo-
pie detest cowardly methods of fight
ing.
The language which is attributed to
me in the false interview in which I am
made to criticise and abuse the adminis-
tratioD. should have condemned the
interview as a fabrication at once. But
even more absurd is the statement made
by the press that l am an avowed can
didate for the Republican nomination for
president at the next national conven.
ton; that you have made an alliance
with me, and that therefore you have
practically 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