The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-01
FIRST EDITIO N
THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN.
The OniciaI Organ Comes Out In Defense OF
the Management of the InstitutiOn-SOme Iu-
terestinU Facts for Considerations


the Management of the InstitutiOn-SOme In-
teresting Facts for Consideration.
The Christian AdvOcate, the official organ of the
Book Concern, has in the current numoer an ardcle
on the recent charges OF msmanagement, from
which we extract the following, which are the Inn
OF the Times article the Advocate says:-
1--WE do not, however, hesitate to denounce It as
the manness to declare openly what it utters only
in part, while 1t insinuaes much more. Dr. Lanahan
in the headship of the business of course by the
moval of the late chief agent DR.. Carlton. SO the
matter was understood by outsiders and Buffalo
paper declared in gross assault on Dr. Cartons
personal character. defalcaton among the man.
ayers of the concern is declared to have been de-
tected, and these two gentlemen were the only man
agers and one of them had detected the frauds, 1t
was clear that the other one had been found de-
dollars The New York World, without stopping to
higgle over fractions, writes down the losses at a
''Ihe purpert of the Times article, whether the in
spiration was the writer's own or borrowed from his
informant, to make division between the Two
that DR.. Carlton is the delinquent party is
direct and almost necessary. No details are given
to indicate the nature OF the pretended frauds, but
in dark intimatons the case is presented TO the ina
gination Of the readers as one OF giant proportions
1Great injustice has been done to DR..
Lanahan, who knows too well the nature of his posi-
ton, and governed by too high sense OF honor, to
willingly allow himself to be put III opposition to his
associate and official superior.
"Whatever he has done in this business has been
done under the headship OF Dr. Carlton, and there
fore, in an important sense, by him, 1t is due to
both of these gentlemen to say that they are earn
esty working together for the best interests of their
common trust. On the distribution of the duties of
the house. certain departments of the business are
assigned to the assistant agent and in these certain
irregularities have been detected, uncertain and eX-
the Times Painfdl Revelation
$50 far as we have learned, there has been no
defalcaton at all, in the usual sense of that word
We hear of no charge that any disbursing agent in
the establishment has misapproprated funds left in
his hands; nor has the concern lost any portion Of
f1n fhaf has fn m 70 nv hn
exhibits of its assets The institution has been, and
is, just rich its annual exhibits show. But, in
the examination of the manufacturing department,
it appeared to the agent having direct charge that
the purchases had not been made with proper care
and economy; that instead of buying Of first hands,
the head of the printing department mad made his
purchases through commission merchant, and that
in consequence the prices of stock were often higher
than would have been given mad the purchases been
made directly of the manufacturers. We do not hear
1t charged that he ever received any commissions
FOR purchases made, or that at any time he has
cepted any pecunia1y considerations from any party
beyond his regular salary. We are not in condition
to deny that he has ever done so but till the proof is
forthcoming, it is but just to withhold any unfayOr
able opinion respecting trusted agent against
whom there has heretofore been no complaint and,
as far as ge are aware, no suspicion of dishonesty.
"Resyecting the bindery department the intima-
tions may be darker, but are more indefinite. we
arc, not aware how much evidence of fraud, if any,
has been obtained nor definitely of the nature Of the
transactions concerning which complaints made
1t would therefore, be improper for us to express
any opinion upon the case. The late head of that
department is not a Methodist, and we knew him
only a superior workman That in his purchases,
or other dealings he may have defrauded the house
is possibe it is at any rate, proper that the thng
should be looked into and "".,1ing such examna,
1ictsie UHs, anT oa t M facts are made known it
shonId Ske of wisdom and fairness that Judgment
we noel" ID suspended. We free to confess that
dre not without our suspicious that the business
of the Concern has not always been sufficiently care
fully superintendent but to estimate its losses by
many hundreds Of thousands is simply prepos-
ferrous.
"a former book agents name, whose published
opinions on pending Church que stion are not
altogether acceptable to certain parties, has been
drawn into the affair, with an evident purpose to
iniure him. All such things are lamentable, and
should be frowned upon. The question of lay dele
CATION is not involved either directly or indirectly in
all these book room difficulties, and it is as unwse
as it is unjust for either party TO drag 1t into his con
sideraton. The whole affair is still in state of in
complete developments the proper persons have been
carefully and conscienousy looking into 1t, and all
things tending to the correction of any exist
ing abuses or mismanagements, when the unfortu-
nate and highly reprehensibe article in the New
York Times necessarily put stop to it for time.
We think are safe in assuring the Church that the
affairs OF the Book Concern We're never in sounder
condition than at this time, and that If abuses shall
at any time be detected, the agents are fully com
petent TO correct them, ana TO protect all Che IN
tprpste OF the establishment"