New-York tribune., 1871-01-12
METHODIST BOOK CONCERN
THE INVESTIGATION TO-DAY-COMPOsITIO ov
THE COURT OF INQUIRY.

4 40
charges brought against the Junior Book Agent tie Rev
DR. Lanahan. As the Methodist Episcopal Church T. ,t
largcst among the Protestant denominations ~ u.
country, and its Book Concern the owner OF NOR.
than dozen periodicals, with several hundred thousand
readers and OF the larger portion Of the denomlpsi
literature is great financial and literary power in ~
country, TIE has been commented upon by ann.
prominent papers, ular and reil lious ana NAV no.
be said 20 be almost OF national interest Tic bi.,o,x
Of the case f., In brief. Follows:
In November 1909, tie Rev. DR. Lanshan the iupio,
agent Of the Book Concern, made report TO the Bot
COmmittco Of The Church. in which serious characs e
brought forward against the management Of several Do
partmenis OF the Concern Dr.. Lanahan complained in
particular, OF Irregularities in the binding deDar
men ana OF TIC purchase Of the vast pape,
winch The Concern annually through a mlddleman
tho son Of exaGent OF the Book Concern an arrang
ment which enabled the mdlleman 90 make year after
year. many thousands of dollars which could and ou,d
have been saved to the Concern Book Committee
after due examination Of the report decided at there
had been seyf> losses in least one department Of the
Concern, and ltmacd that there h1d been rreguarty
in the mode Of purchasing the paper All the peror,
affected by the decision OF the Committee pleaded not
guilty. and appealed % the public to suspend their juds
mcnt. The majority OF the periodicals which took IN,
trouble TO examine the documents published with reg,rd
to the case were OF opinion that The charge, mar Ly
| Dr. Lanahan and tic decision made By tie Boo. Con-
mittee. rested facts and principles correetac
| OF which could not be cOptroveitcd
After a while the Book Committee were reouo.,eI %
meet again in January, 1870 for Investigation o
the case This request proceed, from Dr. Ianaban
but from persons in the interest OF biz 0ppncnts II
had become known by this time that Dr. Ianahan We,
! 70 demand thorough investigation OF the wloie al
minstration Of the Concern and that strong oro ID
was organizing against him Thus It was natural tl,t
considerable excitement produced by tie clse AMI
that the public at large began feel greatly interested
in its progress The Committee Nei, and the result t.
time was that majority Of the Committee found .aat
there had been no losses while minority adhered o lae
former report We believe tn friends of the majority .
the Committee admit that the press almost unaU mosy
sided with the minority, and censred the report OF the
| majority with greater or lesser severity.
In May, 1870, a number OF ministers anG laym"n o.
NewYork and vicinity originated charges against Dr.
Lanahan. growing out OF his assumed discovery o ml+
management in the Book Concern. Tie charges were:
l. Official misconduct and malfeasance; ?. Hegrc, OF
official duty; Unruthfulncss, rasciblty, sIandcro1'
disposition and other Objectionable personal character
istics, which unfit him for the position Of Assistant Boot
Agent l. Insubordnation to his official supcriors. The
Book Committee and violation oi his pledges to them
g. Want Of business qualifications and capacity FOR the
discharge OF his official duties such Assistant BOOK
Agent. The Book Committee was accordingly sum.
moned by ts Chairman. the Rev. Dr. Rawins OF Indiana
to meet in NewYork, in May. The invitations appeartO
have been issued with studied secrecy at least, the
the meeting, and the fact Of the conyocaton o Tie
Committee little known that when the Meth
Odst community of NewY and vicinity learned from
an editorial article in The TRIBUNE and other daily pa
pers the impending meeting some prominent Ji the
Church came To NewYOrl for the express purpose
OF warning the Committee against the Suspension Of Dr.
Lanahan. The expectations of the opponents o Dr. Ian
ahan who believed that he would, without fail be
pended disappointed; the Committee adjourned
without deciding the
|, new meeting Of the Book Committee took place
Cincinnati on the 2Sth of October The Old charges
renewed, some ones added, and the Committee this
time resolved suspend the Rev Dr. Lanahan from his
official relations Assistant Book Agent. Thursday,
JAN 12, 1871 fixed by the Committee the day foi
investigating the complaints The Law Of the Methodist
Church requires the presence Of at least two bishops at
such Investigations and their in the
tence Of removal In the present ease, all the five
effective bishops have been requested to be present
There Is a considerable difference of opinion among ;he
opponents and the friends Of Dr. Lanahan 10 the
powers of the Book Committee. The former wish the
Committee to investigate the the proprietOrs q
the Concern and insist that the Committee needA0t
consider the charges at ALL the latter think at common
Justice requires that charges produced the in
yestgation should turn the charges. Public opinion
we believe, will care little about the echnicaes Of lie
church law, but If will want to learn whether tie Com
miee will find DR.. LaDahan guilty or not guilty on the
charges brought against him. 1t will demand tlis all
the more this Committee, in November. l62
unanimously approved the OF DR.. Laulhln by
passing the following resolutions:
"Tat though the Agents have bought paper md othei
materials for the Printing Department mainly through
paper dealers or middemen yet it does not appear by
any facts before the Committee that the Concern L.
suffered any serious loss by such mode OF making pur
chases."
"That the investigation of the affairs ard busn"F il
the binding department has satisfied the Committee thai
there has been great mismanagemeut in this DcparD
ment, and that serious losses have occurred therein
The Committee may have since had sufficient reason "a
reverse their judgment; but oil those who watch uch
proceedings VIII first OF all know whether Dr
Lanahan's charges concerning the Book Concern were
true not true. and what the reasons which In
duced the Committee TO reverse the first decision.
COMPOSITION OF THE COURT.
The charges against the Rev. John Lana
han are l. Official misconduct and mafeaslnce
@ Neglect OF official duty. g. Uutruthfulness ir1s
cbity, slanderous disposition, and other objection
able personal characteristics, which unit him for the
position OF Assistant Book Agent 4. Decentralization 10
his official superiors, the Book Committee and violation
of his pledges TO them s. Want of business qual.fea
tons aud capacity for the discharge of his Cic ds
such Assistant Book Agent Irhe charges under VIII
ferred by the following ministers; David Graves Jacoo
Newark Conference: Ii. r. Pease. Presiding Elder
Y East Conference; W. X Evans \. Y East CoaeTnce;
Iaymen-J. W. Allison, Yonkcrs N. +. Chur,hi C. II.
Fellows Brooklyn; Orange Judd, Flushing NJ T. ChGlthi
Jas r. Edwards Trinity N. l.. Church. " y. John q.
Hoyt, Elizabeth, ST. Paul's NJ. j. Church Joseph ~
Knapp, ST. Johns Brooklyn; H. ID. hoiph' :" r"ui'
Elizabeth, y. j. --..-., .,.,u
The provision in such is that the accused sah
be tried by the Book Committee with the concurrence
OF not less than two OF the Bishops" Bishops Simpson
James, Clark, scott and Amcs will, with the BOOA ,o'
nittee form the Court. This Committee, rs appointed
consists OF the follow ing members: H. T. iaWns mar
man deceased, Indiana Conference; l. NJ Vernon, -.
retary 81 Louis Conference; James Pike NeW.hahp-
Shire Conference; G. w. Woodruff. New-Iork Conle.-
once: G. 5 yanceve, Newark Conference; Henry eSer'
Rnltimore Conference; l. s. Bingham, Black RIVER Con-
ferrnce; James Erwin, Central New 0rk C0neISnSS
g. W Maltby, Erie Conference; j. r. kenhedy' NVI.i
OHIO Conferences T. A. Blades, Detroit S0neLeh tjin