The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-25
MACLAY is BOUNCED
SIMPSONS HISTORIAN GETS 1T IN
THE NECK.
BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT
HIS REFUSAL TO RESIGN CUT NO
ICE WITH LONG.

Mac1ay's Letter Declining to Resign
Civil Service Rules Considered by
the President and Secretary Long
With the Result Stated-MacIay's
History Provoked SchIey Inquiry.
Others Who Had a Hand in the
Agitation May Well TrembIe.
Washington, Dec. 24.-Secretary
Long has discharged Edgar S. Maclay
from his position as a skilled laborer
in the Brooklyn navy yard, Maclay
having refused to resign when re-
quested to do so.
Mr.. Maclay is author of naval his
tory, and in it's last volume violently
criticised Admiral Schley and de-
nounced him as a caitiff, poltroon and
coward.
Secretary Longs action was taken
by direction of the President and fol-
lowed conference between the Presi-
dent and Secretary Long, who took to
the White House with him a letter from
Maclay in response to the request for
his resignation sent by the Secretary
last Saturday In this letter Maclay
submitted that he could not be removed
or be compelled to resign without
definite charges being made against
him and without living an opportunity
to answer those charges. Although the
civil service rules give employees of the
public service the opportunity of an
swering charges that may be preferred
against them, the President exercised
his prerogatives in the present in
stance and directed Maclay's removal,
it being held that the latter was aware,
unoft1cially, if not officially, of the rea-
sons which actuated the executive in
taking the course determined upon.
Secretary Long said the action taken
to-day would dispose of the case
finally.
Mr.. Maclays letter to Secretary Long
replying to the request for his resig-
nation is as follows:
MacIay's Reply to Long.
''Navy Yard, New York. Office of
the General Storekeeper. Dec. %, 1901.
To Rear Admiral Albert S. Barker, Z.
S. N, Conmandant Navy Yard, New
York. Sir--I have the honor of
munication of this date from the Hon
orable Secretary of the Navy;
II am directed by the President to
ask Edgar S. Maclay, special laborer,
srnernf ycsrwangsfy s-vfffccs.
New York, to send in his resignation,
Il respectfully submit that 1 was
regularly appointed to my present. po-
sition after having duly passed a
clerks examination in accordance with
all the requirements of the civil SER
vice regulations and, therefore cannot
be removed or be compelled to resign
without definite charges being made
against me and without having an op-
portunity to answer those charges. l
have been in this Office fifteen months,
have been promoted for efficiency, and,
so far as / know, my work has been
satisfactory to my SuperiOrs. i have
violated no rules or regulation of this
office or of the navy yard, so far as l
am aware. Such being the case, l feel
that it would not only be an injustice
to myself to resign under such circum-
stances but it would be establishing a
precedent that vitality concerns thou
sands of civil service employees, both
national and state. Very respectfully
yours, Edgar S. Maclay."
Secretary Longs dispatch to Rear
Admiral Barker directing Maclay's re-
moval was as follows:
Washington, Dec. 24.-To Rear Ad-
miral A. S. Barker, u. S. N, command
ant Navy Yard. New York. By direc-
ton of the President, Edgar S. Maclay
is discharged. Notify him.
Long"