The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-24
SPIRIT or TRH PRHsS.
editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topics Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
HOW NOT TO DO IT,


Prom the NJ Y. Tribune.
The trial which has so deeply interested
the Methodist Church in the United States
came to an inglorious end last week after a
seven DAYS course. The only result of the
inquiry has been to SOW dissension in the
Church, to arouse uncharitable feelings in
the ministry and to fill the outside public
with suspicion not only of the commercial
prosperity of the great Methodist Publishing
House, but of the disposition, or at least the
ability, of the committee to investigate
thoroughly its condition, or correct any
abuses which may have crept into it. This
bitter fruit of the long controversy may have
sprung in part from professional ignorance
of the ordinary forms of dispensing justice,
because ministers are not often familiar with
the processes of courts; but surely common
sense might have saved the committee
from the egregious blunders which have
marked, their whole course in this import
ant matter. 1t is about fifteen months
since Dr. Lanahan published his charges
against the management of the Book Con-
Germ, alleging that there had been heavy
losses through fraud or gross misconduct in
the administration. The Book Committee
met to investigate these charges, and found
that they were in the main true; but mean
while a violent hostility had been excited
against DR.. Lanahan, and in January, 1870,
the committee was called together again to
revise its former decision. The result of these
supplementary proceedings was a majority
report whitewashing the Book Concern and
declaring that there had been no losses at all,
and minority report reiterating the previous
judgment.
To unprejudiced outsiders it seemed clear
that DIR. Lanahan's accusations, whether true
or false, had at least 80 much apparent foun-
dation that for the credit of the Church an
exhaustive examination by the tribunal of last
sort should have been ordered without de-
lay. But while the charges of fraud and mis-
management we're still practically undecided,
the trials having resulted in what was equiva-
lent to the Scotch verdict of mot proven"
the opponents of DR.. Lanahan preferred an
indictment against that gentleman, and in
October last he was suspended from his Office
of Assistant Book Agent until joint tribunal,
composed of the Book Committee and GER
tain number of the bishops should decide
upon his guilt or innocence. The offenses
laid at his door were described as Off
cial misconduct and malfeasance, neglect
of official duty, untruthfulness, irasoi-
bility, slanderous disposition, insubordi-
nation, inefficiency, ETC.; but the speci-
fications resolved nearly all these into the
one capital crime of impugning the
honesty and efficiency of the
management of the concern. DR.. Lanahan,
in his answer, said in effect, 81 have as
serted that frauds and corruptions exist in
the management of the Book Concern, and
stand by my words" The trial began on the
18th instant. A whole week was passed in
taking testimony and debating rules of prac-
tiee before the excellent gentlemen compos-
ing the court realized the position in which
they had placed themselves. Nothing was
proved on a single charge. 1t was evident
that nothing could be proved. To every ac-
cusation against the Assistant Agent that
he made such and such slanderous state
ments respecting the Book Concern the an
swer was the same: 81 admit the statements;
they are not slanderous; 1 am prepared to
prove them" To go to trial on such an issue
was as if the Court of Sessions should sus-
pend the trial of indictments until It had first
tried the District Attorney for sIander in
drawing them up.
The Methodist tribunal seems finally to
have realized that in practice, if not in
theory, DR.. Lanahan is the prosecutor in this
controversy and the Book Concern is the de-
fendant and the attempt to put the prose-
cutor in the dock and the accused on the
stand is travesty upon justice. The trial is
abandoned. The Assistant Agent is restored
to office. special commission is appointed
to probe the affairs of the Book Concern to
the bottom, with the assistance of experts,
and the charges against DR.. Lanahan are re-
ferred to the General Conference for such
action as that tribunal of last resort may
deem proper. This is a sensible course al
last. The conference does not meet until
1872, and there will thus be opportunity fol
learning whether DR.. Lanahan's charges are
true before he is indicted for making them.