The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-23

ScOsA
before the country in one shape or another
since 1869, and when from time to time its
death and burial have been announced and
people were beginning to forget that such o
case ever existed 1t comes forth from the dust
again, the same spirit, but clothed in differ
cnt attire. its latest phase is tina. upon which
the Book Committee are soon to render
verdict, based upon the trial Of charges Of in
competence, disregard Of the authority Of the
Book Committee and of the General Confer
ence, legal prosecution OF the Concern and
injury to its credit, preferred by the senior
agent, DR.. Carlton, against his associate. The
case has been before the committee and the
bishops for more than week and has been
ably conducted by counsel on both Sides The
testimony on the specific charges is now al!
in, and both sides have summed up the same,
and it becomes, therefore, legitimate property
for editorial comment. The evidence, for
many reasons and in many particulars, is
most strange and remarkable, and an amount
of contradictory testimony has been given
which can be accounted for only on the
assumption that the memory of Methodist
ministers and laymen is terribly deficient. Or
course we cannot for a moment admit that in
so grave case as this Christian men would
willingly falsify and yet, if we accept the aver
ment of a member of the committee, Methodist
preachers may not only lie and steal but COM
NIT other crimes for which they can atone only
with their lives.
But setting aside all such imputations of
moral depravity, let us see what the testimony
reveals. Four distinct lines of defence appear
to have been adopted by DR.. Lanahan's
counsel. They started out with general de-
NAL of the charges preferred, but, finding this
inc untenable, they set up justification for
their acts--a "stern necessity which
they sought to prove by a pile Of official
church papers, which, rs wa conceive, were
very properly ruled out by the committee as
wholly irrelevant. From this line they then
not only suggested, but rather broadly as
serted, the incompetence Of the tribunal to try
the case and, being oyerruled in this also,
a diversion was sought by trying to create q
disagreement between the committee and the
concurrent authority upon the fiuai result,
the bishops. AS near as we can catch the
spirit of the case, not only in this issue bat in
former Issues, DR.. Lanahan has deemed the
creation of public opinion favorable to his
side of the case of far more Importance than
any positive testimony which he could lay
before the committee to substantiate his
charges. And in this particular he has sue
ceeded admirably. For of all the daily
papers in the city the HERALD is the only
one, we believe, which has not fastened TO
condemn the Book Concern without hear
ing, nor to accept as axioms the unsupported
assertions Of one man against the equally
as high standing in the Church and the CON-
munity. 1t Is not necessary to charge the
press with Partially to account for its repub-
LEGATION SO frequently of DR.. Lanahan's
charges of fraud and mismanagement against
the Concern. That gentleman, from the be-
ginning, both personally and by his friends,
sought the aid Of the press, and the charac-
ter of the man and of his information was
sufficient at any time to secure him a ready
and favorable hearing. The other party
adopted no such tactics, and hence they have
rested for months under an imputation which
business disagreement, into personal quarrel
The printed document presented by DR..
Lanahan as his answer to the charges pre-
ferred against him presents only such facts
as would without a positive denial accom-
panying them give the general public an
impression Of the utter rottenness of
the Concern. For instance THE average
monthly balances on the books of the Concern
are shown to be several thousand dollars
greater for given period of years than the
corresponding balances on the books of the
bank where the deposits were made. The
explanation given by DR.. Carlton and his
cashier and the bank officials is very simple
and thoroughly businesslike. 1t is that the
surplus funds of the Concern were loaned out
on short calls at four, five and six per cent
interest, and the securities held by the agents
were credited by them as cash on hand, while
the bank of course credited the Concern with
only so much cash as it actually held. And
yet DIR. Lanahan testified most positively that
he never asked any one in the Concern for an
explanation of those differences, but published
them on his own or his accountants RESPONSE
bility. And this is but fair sample Of the
entire batch of figures affecting the character
and integrity Of the senior agent. And as to
those affecting Mr.. Goodenough's character,
which, from the larger proportion Of DR..
Lanahan's answer, Mr.. Goodenongh has
asked for the privilege of explaining to the
committee personally those apparent discrep-
aucies. And it is scarcely fair to assume that
Mr.. Goodenough would enter the civil courts
to defend his character was he not conscious
Of his own integrity and moral uprightness
while in the employ of the Concern.