Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-20
HUSBAND OF GRANDDAUGHTER
OF FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
FACES POVERTY.
LOST GOVERNMENT JOB
TO MORE FAVORED MAN
Considerable Pressure Brought to. Bear
to Have Assistant Attorney in De-
partment of Justice Reinstated-Rs-
Iationship Used as a Lever-PoIiti-
cal Gossip.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, May ia. Mcdonald
McBlair, former assistant attorney of
the department of justice, but some
months ago let out of that department.
is making a vigorous fight for rein
likely to attract no little attention in
Washington and elsewhere. Mr.. Nc
Blair, who wentS into the department
under the Roosevelt Bonaparte regime,
was dismissed last fall, some months
after Attorney General Wickersham be-
came head of the department.. Since
then MIR. McBlair has been making eff
forts to be restored and is seeking to
get his case before the president.
What is likely to draw special at
tention to the case is that Mrs. Nc
Blair, the wife of the dismissed attor-
ney. was Miss Mary Taylor Key, the
granddaughter Of Francis Scott Key,
author of the Star SpangIed Banner.
Mrs. McBlair has taken up the cause
Of her husband and is making an eff
fort to get him restored to his posi-
ton, holding the dismissal was unjust.
Wants Job Back.
Mr. and Mrs. McBlair came to Wash
ington from Baltimore. They were
married in. June, 1908. Mr.. McBlair be-
lieving he had permanent place in the
department of justice. All went we'll
until Mr.. McBlair lost his place. Now,
both Mr.. McBlair and his wife say they
are reduced to severe straits from the
fact he is out of employment and the
wife's appeal for a reinstatement or
some other employment under a gov
eminent indebted to her grandfather
for Its national anthem are thus far Of
no avail.
Both Mrs. McBlair and her husband
believe that when the country knows the
facts, the grandchild Of the author of
the national anthem being driven to the
verge of poverty by displacement from
office, protest will be made which will
compel attention. It appears from let
ters exhibited by Mr.. and Mrs. Nc
Blair that the former Miss Key called
at the White House with a note of in
PRODUCTION from Mrs. Henry Cabot
Lodge. That was last November. She
was not permitted to see the president
but was requested by Secretary Car
penter to state her case in writing. Mrs.
McBlair exhibits a copy Of letter she
sent to the president in which she re-
lated the circumstances of her husZ
bands employment in the department
and his dismissal, and asked the presi-
dent to take up the matter Of his re-
storation. She was informed by letter
that the president regretted it was not
possible De f., for him to interfere. ghis was
Broke Seeking Job.
Since then, both Mr.. and Mrs. Nc
Blair say that they have endeavored
in various ways to get consideration
of the question of restoration, that
enough encouragement was had from
Attorney General Wickersham to keep
the husband in suspense, that in the
meantime their resources have been
dwindling and that now they hardly
know where to turn or what to do. One
or two senator's have taken a kindly
interest but, Mr. McBlair points out,
there is no republican senator from
Maryland and he is almost helpless in
that respect. He was appointed as a
special assistant attorney at the in
stance Of President Roosevelt in 1907,
did important work in connection with
the government suit against the Harri-
man roads in Oregon, and was made
one of the assistant attorneys by Mr..
Bonaparte, who commended his merits
and spoke in a letter of the "satisfac-
ton Of placing him upon the perman-
ent roll of the department" Mr.. Bona
parte said, according to the copy of
letter shown by Mr.. McBlair, that his
desire was to promote him to the staff
of attorneys charged with the defense
of suits before the court of claims.
Another Wnated Job.
Mr.. McBlair says he was let out be-
cause it was alleged his work was not
satisfactory but in reality because his
place was wanted for another man.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. McBlair come of
distinguished families. Mary Taylor
Key is the daughter Of Charles H. Key,
Spangled Banner. Her mother was
county, Maryland and she was reared
in that state. Mr.. McBlairs father was
Charles H. McBlair, navy officer, at
one time adjutant general Of Maryland.
Mr.. McBlair in a statement says:
"Some years ago a similar incident
occurred during the last Cleveland adj
ministration. Another descendant Of
the author of the Star Spangled Ban
ner was the victim then, having been
summary dismissed by Hoke Smith,
secretary of the interior. At that time
the republican press rang all the
changes upon Cleveland's lack of pat
riotism and want of sentiment for the
flag and the song which immortalized
it. But the situation is reversed now
and the boot is on the other les."
Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver
Tablets will clear the sour stomach,
s,ueetan the breath and create z