The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-21
Mr.. GAGE. TO RESIGN
THE OLD M'KINLEY CABINET is
BREAKING UP.
SECRETARY LONG TO GO NEXT
TALK OF HAYS DEPARTURE, But
THIS Is DENIED.

There Is No Friction, Says MIR. Gage,
He Would Do Almost Anything for
President Roosevelt, Except Re-
main in the Cabinet-WilI Give
President Plenty of Time to Select
His SuccessOr-ResuIt of SchIey
Inquiry Said to Have Made Things
Uncomfortable for MIR. Long.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 20.-Secre-
tary Gage is shortly to retire from the
cabinet, and Secretary Long is slated
to follow him at no distant day The
political atmosphere is filled with ru-
mors of other cabinet changes, but at
the White House there is a disposi-
ton to discredit all reports of a gem
eral dismemberment of the President S
official family. The persistent rumors
that Secretary Hay is to leave the
cabinet is emphatically denied by the
President and also by Secretary Hay.
The latter has accepted an invitation
from Congress to deliver the eulogy on
the late President Mckinley some
time in February, hence he is not like,
meantime. In spite of the efforts on
the part of the Presidents immediate
friends to discredit the reports of in
tense friction between the President,
certain members of his cabinet and
conspicuous party leaders, political
conservation prevails in administra-
ton circles, and the question is fire.
quently asked: What will happer
next"' Secretary Gage told the Pres
ldent this morning that he would like
to retire from the cabinet inside of
Two months, or by early spring at the
latest. The President is endeayoring
to persuade him to remain.
Mr.. Gage said after the cabinet
meeting; Il have not formally ten
dered my resignation. 1 do not like
10 discuss events before they happen.
ii not talk about the likelihood of
my, my reslghlng or my not resigning. l
VIII say that the relations be-
tween the President and myself are
cordial indeed. I would do anything
almost that the President would ask
me TO do, and he would do almost anv-
tnlng that / would ask him; therefore
the stories of friction between us are
foolish in the extreme
~ tan De stated that Mr.. Cages
resignation will be formally handed tc
the PRESIDENT as soon as the latter
makes up his mind about the successor
for the treasury portfolio
The Treasury Department is in many
respects the most important depart
ment, and the President will undoubt-
edly weigh his possible appointees be-
tore picking out the man to step into
MI cages shoes. Mr.. Cages intima-
ton to the President that he wishes 10
resign at date, possibly several
months in futurity, is made for the
purpose of giving the President ample
time to select a new secretary.
MIR. Gage Has Fine Offers
The prospective retirement OF Mr..
Gage has been widely discussed in
washington to-day and various rea-
sons have been assigned for it. Dur
ing the past six months Mr.. Gage has
received several f1attering offers of 90
s1tions of responsibility with certain
nnanclal institutions, both in New York
and Chicago. That he did not leave the
cabinet to accept one of these offers af-
ter the death of President Mckinley
was due to the personal solicitations of
President Roosevelt. Even then he ac-
ceded to the Presidents wishes only
with the proviso that he might feel
at liberty to retire later.
Among the possible successors to Mr..
Gage that have been mentioned are
Judge Taft, civil governor of the Phil
ippines; Myron T. Herrick of Cleveland
and Gen. Francis V. Greene of New
York.
The next resignation is expected to
be that of Secreatry Long, whose rela-
tions with the President though al
ways reported to be most cordial, are
believed to be considerably affected by
the verdict in the Schley controversy