The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-26
THE LANAHAN CASE

SATURDAY reacned tresn stage OF develop
ment in the removal Of DR., Lsnahap from his
position of Assistant Agent of the Book Com
mittee, the vote being eleven in favor of
removal and four against. This action on the
part of the Book Committee may possibly
enable the people who have had the control
of the concern for so many years that they
have probably learned to regard
it as their private property to
get rid of the troublesome Assistant Agent
who persists in knowing where the money
goes; but it will not convince the members
of the Methodist Church who give their
money for the support of their great publish
ing house, or the public at large, who have
been looking on with amazement at the at
tempts to suppress DR.. Lanahan, that the
concern is honestly managed. On the con-
trary, the total disregard for decency and JUS
tice displayed by the committee in the con-
duct of the trial and in its verdict will only
confirm the opinion that DIR. Lanahsn has
told the truth, and nothing but the truth,
in charging the management of the concern
with fraud. During the trial Dr. Lanahan
was not allowed any opportunity whatever to
substantiate his charges, and the four MEM
bers of the committee who voted against his
removal were certainly correct in their de-
claration that to hear the evidence first and
to depose afterwards, if necessary, would
have been the course of justice and wisdom.
The whole effort of the Book Committee and
of the old managers of the Book Concern,
however, has been to suppress the auda-
cious Assistant Agent and to prevent
into oh
and thus far they have succeeded, but they
have only damaged their own cause by doing
SO, for no one believes that if DIR. Lanahans
accusations had been false DIR. Carlton and
his coadjutors would not have been eager to
refute them in the only manner in which they
can be refuted. DR.. Lanahan has tried by
every means in his power to have such an in
vestigation of the affairs of the Book Concern
as will be satisfactory to the Methodist
Church and to the public, and he has been
bafied at every point. On Friday his appli-
cation to the Supreme Court for an
injunction on DIR. Carlton to give
him access to the books was denied
by the notorious Judge Barnard in decision
that is remarkable even for the famous Judi
cial agent of the Erie ring. Judge Barnard
abuses DR.. Lanahan in no measured terms for
having made such charges and insinuations
as he did against the management of the
Book Concern. He asserts that these charges
were made without proper evidence, and con-
tends that it was piece of impudence on
his part to endeavor now to hunt up evidence
to substantiate charges preferred in such a
manner. Judge Barnard asks why DIR. Lana
han did not make his examination first, and
then prefer his charges after he had obtained
his evidence. The answer to this is
very easy DIR. Lanahan discovered plain
evidences of fraud and mismanagement, but
he was not allowed an opportunity to follow
them up, and it was to compel the Senior
Agent to show his hand that he demanded an
investigation. 1t is certainly something novel
in law that crime must not be exposed until
all the evidence is in the possession of the
accuser; and one object of judicial investiga-
ton is to collect evidence that is unattainable
| by private individuals. Judge Barnard
further contends that, as DR.. Lanahan was in
ferior and subordinate in position to DIR.
Carlton, and wholly subject to his control
and direction, he had no right to any books
or papers that the Senior Agent did not
choose to furnish him. Judge Barnards de-
cision may be according to law, but the rea-
sons by which he seeks to support it will
scarcely be accepted by the public as suff-
cient; and people will not impertinently ask
whether he is in the pay of the Book Concern
ring, as he is in that of the Erie ring and that
of the Tammany ring, by which New York is
ruled and plundered? Judge Barnard is q
handy man for magnificent rogues to have
on the bench, but his decisions are not usu.
ally of such character as to inspire any great
amount of confidence in the justice of such
causes as he favors, and the wording of his
decision against DR.. Lanahan's application fol
an injunction can only have the effect OF
increasing the public sympathy for that per
secuted individual The Methodist of last
week hit the nail square on the head when
it said:-"The attempt to expel DR.. Lanahar
shows an evident wish to be rid of an incon
venient officer. If his statements as to the
condition of the account books are unim
peachable, the Church will regard any errors
of manner as the small dust of the balance
in comparison with the weightiness of the
truths which he has discovered. All theI
turns upon the point Are the books and ac
counts in state of chaotic confusion? Are
they unreliable records of the business?'
Do they confirm previous charges of mis-
management and fraud? If DR.
Lanahan's statements are true, there ought t.
be trouble. Some one ought to cry ALOUD
and spare not. DR.. Lanahan must be con
frmed or confuted on the main issue.