Evening star., 1899-04-06
THE PEACE JUBILEE:
Mr.. McKean's Resignation Accepted
at the Meeting Last Night
MR.. RUFUS 4. FHAYER IN CHARGE
New Vice Chairman Expresses Con-
fidence in Success of Undertaking
LIV ELY SOUS SSION S

! A lively meeting of the general committee
| of the national peace jubilee was held last
| night at the headquarters. liza F street
| northwest The real business of the even
| ing was the action upon the case of Mr.. w.
! s. Mexican, who was the secretary of the
| general committee, the secretary of the ex-
! ecutive committee. the secretary of the
| Business Mems Association, which first
| took definite steps toward holding the ju-
! bilee. and general director of the jubilee it
! self rt....- ..,a
There was large attendance of members
| present when Chairman Frank K. Ray
mond called the meeting to order, and this
| was largely increased before adjournment
| vas reached.
Chairman w. s. Knox of the executive
! committee was recognized. He stated that
all the subcommittee having the details of
| the celebration in charge were displaying
| applaudable energy and making great prog
ress. He recited what each committee had
already accomplished and Indicated as near
| " as possible when they would be ready to
make reports.
Real Business Begins.
Last Saturday night" he remarked,
there special committee appointed
for a special purpose. Late that night
when executive business had been conclud-
ed and adjournment was at hand the COM
| mittee was surprised completely by the
proffer of the resignation of Mr.. w. S. Nc
| Kean as secretary of the executive COM
mittee, contained in the letter which l will
| read"
Mr. Knox thereupon read the following:
WASHINGTON, April /.
! W. S. Knox, chairman executive committee:
l hereby tender my resignation as scores
! tary of the executive committee. to take ef-
! feet as soon as l can get my papers and
| books into shape to turn over to my sue
cesSor, or after the meeting on Wednesday
| evening, April ), when | will tender my res
| ignation secretary of the general com
| mittee and as general director of the peace
/ jubilee. W. s. McKEAN.
| THE members of the committee" con-
| tinued Mr.. Knox, ''rnoSt earnestly requested
! him to reconsider his determination, but
| Mr.. Mexican would listen to nothing. and
! insisted that he was positively determined
! to retire as sta led in his letter. A special
! committee of five was thereupon appointed
! with power to act upon Mr.. Mex Kean's let
| ter. 1t consisted of Mr.. Chaplin Brown. Mr..
| Leo Simmons Mr.. M Dyrenforth, Mr.. ].
| W. Somerville and myself. Mr.. Mexican
| reiterated his determination to retire, and
| the special committee therefore took him
| at his word. He told me he would be
| ready to turn over his books and keys to-
morrow Thursday morning. The special
committee, therefore, made the recon-
| mendation that MIR. Mckean's resignation
! be accepted. and that vice chairman of
| the executive committee be appointed to
! take up the duties heretofore attended to
| by the general director
MIR. McKean's Statement.
| Mr.. McKean when Mr. Knox concluded
| asked unanimous consent to make a state
| ment. and there being no objection, he pro-
| ceeded.
| He said he couldn't quite clearly under
| stand how the subcommittee of the eXecu-
| tive committee could act upon any other
| subject except his resignation secretary
! of that executive committee. He was
| pleased at its acceptance Of that, but he
! declined to admit that it had any authority
| to act further. He said:
| '"Tney have taken the liberty of accepting
| my resignation of two offices. one of which
| l did not resign. and do not intend to re-
! sign. l viii stick it out and work harmoni-
| ousiy with all hands, and when the jubilee
| is a big success will talk about resigning
| We all want harmony now.
| Instead of that committee coming to
| me- he said. ''and following UP the senti-
| mefit that seemed to inspire the meeting
| Saturday night. and saying Why don't you
4 reconsider this thing. McKean| or some
| thing like that it did nothing of the kind
! The first information 1 had of it's action
| was very cutting, legal, cold, technical
] communication. evidently written by law
| yer. without even an expression of regret
| or of appreciation.
On the Defensive.
| This committee" he exclaimed lis all
supreme. 1 am on the defensive. and, like
| a man, I mean to defend myself I did
mean everything 1 said in my letter to Mr.
| Knox. 1 did say 1 would resign. But
have been pleaded with by gentlemen who
| rave told me- not to resign. | do not, gen.
| tlemen. intend to resign my office. II is for
you to say whether / shall continue or not
| With your support | will make this peace
| celebration the grandest thing we have
| ever seen in this country. / am not an
| egotist; I'm not hypocrite; never know
! ingly told a lie in my life Let us work
! harmoniously together; let there be concert
| of action, and success will come just as
sure as the ides of May" (Applause)
| Mr.. Mexican then went into a long and
| detailed explanation of the duties Of the
| committees and the rules of government,
| reading from manuscript minutes of pre-
| yious meetings. when Mr.. ]. w. Somerville
! arose and objected to such reading as un-
necessary
| Mr.. Roche made the point of order that
] Mr.. Mexican, having been given unanimous
] consent. could not be interrupted. A col
| loquy followed between the gentlemen, in
| which the remark of Mr. Roche that gag
| law WIS out of place was warmly resented
| by Mr.. Sonerville.
| Mr.. Mexican then continued. Mr.. Roche
| having withdrawn the remark Mr.. Somer-
| vile considered offensive, and the latter
! having in turn withdrawn his objection to
| Mr.. Mexican proceeding Mr.. Mexican en-
| phaslZed further his declaration that the
| subcommittee had no right to accept a
resignation that had not been rendered,
and Was reading the rules from manu-
| script. whea Mr. NJ Dyrenforth inquired if
| Mr.. Mckean had not been instructed TO
have the minutes and rules printed and had
| neglected TO do So
| Mr.. Mexican said he would answer in
! time. but denied Mr.. Dyrenforth's right to
ask the question as Mr.. Dyrenforth was
| not member of the general committee
| There was an animated discussion over
| this assertion, and finally the chair was an
peafed to, and ruled that a member of the
executive committee was necessarily a
| member of the general committee
Mr.. Mexican then stated that the reason
! the minutes and rules had not been printed
was because he had been so busy with other
details. He again declared that the SUBJ
committee had merely assumed that his
| resignation as director general had been