The San Francisco call., 1901-12-25
HISTORIAN
MACLAY IS
ORDERED OUT
Navy Yard Laborer Dis
missed by President
Roosevelt.
Objections Made by Revller
of Schley Are Not
Noticed.
Lieutenant General Miles Says He
Will Not Make Application
for Court of In
qUiry.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-Secretary
Long has discharged Edgar Staunton Ma
clay from his position as a skilled lapOIer
in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Maclay nav
ing refused to resign when requested 10
do so. Maclay criticized Admiral Schley
in his naval history as a "caitlI, poltrOOl
and coward"
Secretary Longs action was taken by
direction of the President and followed
conference between the President and the
Secretary, who took to the White House
with him a letter from Maclay In re-
Spouse to the request for his resignation
sent by the Secretary last Saturday.
In this letter Maclay submitted that ne
could not be removed or compelled to re-
sign without definite charges being MADE
against him and without having an op-
portunity to answer those charges Al
though the civil service rules give en-
pIoyes of the service the opportunity or
answering charges that may be preferred
against them, the President exercised MS
prerOgative in the present incident ana
directed Maclay's removal, 1t Delng held
that the latter was aware unOthclaLy, II
NOT of6ciallv of the reasons which actu-
ated the executive in taking the course
determined upon. Secretary Long saiq arg
the action taken to-day would dispose OI
the case finally.
The Letter of Maclay.
-Maclay's letter to Secretary Long re-
plying to the request for his resignation
is as follows:
NAVY YARD. NEW YORK Office OF the
General Storekeeper, Dec. %, 1901.-Rear Ad-
miral Albert S. Barker, U. S. N. Commandant
Navy Yard New York-Sir: I have the honor
3ication of this date in which you forwarded
the following communication Of this GATE from
the Honorable Secretary of the Navy; am
directed by the President to ask Edgar 5.
Maclay special laborer, general stOrekeepers
office, navy yard, New York to send IN his
I respectfully submit that was regularly
appointed to my present position after having
duly passed a clerks examination in accordance
with all the requirements OF the civil service
regulations and therefore cannot be removed
or be compelled to resign without dennlte
charges being made against me and without
having an opportunity to answer those charges
have been in this otnce fifteen months nave
been promoted for efficiency and so far as l
know my work has been satisfactory to my
superiors 1 have violated no rules or regu-
lations of this office or of the navy yard; so
such being the case feel that it would not
only be injustice TO myself to resign under
such circumstances. but it would be establish
| ing precedent that vitally concerns thou
sands Of civil service employees. both national
EDGAR 5. MACLAY.
Secretary Longs dispatch to Rear Ad-
miral Barker directing Maclay's removal
was as follows:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-Rear Admiral A.
s. Barker, u. S. N, Commandant Navy Yard,
LONG.
| Miles Refuses to Talk.
! Lieutenant General Nelson A Miles re-
! turned to the city to-day from his brief
/ visit to New York. The General declined
| to discuss the question of the TepTimand
! given him by the Secretary of War for
| his published observations on the report
/ of the verdict of the court of inquiry in
/ the Schley case, and in reply to inquiries
! to his future course in the matter said
! he had no statement to make. He did
! say, however, that the report that he
! would apply for a court of inquiry was
! entirely unauthorized.
NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-Historian Maclay
/ did not forward to Washington to-day
/ his resignation as special labOrer at the
navy yard in Brooklyn, although he said
| on Monday night that he intended to do
so. He said:
''I have not resigned and do not in
tend to yet 1 shall not decide upon
a course of action until l have cOmmuni-
Gated with the civil service authorities
at Washington l want to convince my
self that President Roosevelt actually has
power to disregard civil service regula-
tions. If l find he is possessed Of Sucn
right, then 1 will resign at once"
Judgment for $36 and costs was rem
dered to-day against Maclay by Justice
Van Wart in the Second District Munich
pal Court in Williamsburg in an action
brought by a brewing company. 1t was
alleged that in November and December
of 1897, while Maclay was the keeper of
the old Field lighthouse near Port JEFF
ferson, l. l., the brewing company sent
him cases of beer on his order. Neither
Maclay nor his counsel appeared in court.