The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-06-17

concerning the distribution of the
$288, COO appropriated by Congress a
short time ago in payment of a
claim of the Publishing House of
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South.
Mr.. Lodge explained that when
the bill appropriating the claim was
before the Senate he had offered an
amendment providing that not
more than $1,000 should be paid to
any agent or lobbyist for working
for the bill. His amendment had
been received with Indignation and
as a reflection upoN the honor of
men who were rendering to the
Methodist Church, South, serv ice
of love.
ave were assured" said Mr..
Lodge, that no part of the sum APP
propriated was to be paid to agents,
but it now develops that contract
existed for the payment of 35 per
cent of the proceeds of the claim to
lobbyists, and that one man has re-
ceived the immense sum of $l00,8 800. y
Mr.. Lodge then presented several
newspaper clippings tending to
prove his claims. In response to
! the suggestion he said he made no
charge against the Methodist
Church, South, but IN the clippings
which he presented there were seri.
Gus charges against the accredited
agents of the church.
Senator Bate, who had stubbOrnly
advocated the payment of the claim
| Il il
closures. In speaking of the Lodge
resolution he said in part:
"Mr. President, l desire to say
that if what | hear and if what
have seen in the newspapers is true
some of the very papers referred to
by the Senator from Massachusetts
it's an outrage upon the confidence
reposed in the agents of the publish
ing House Company, and | say tt
the Senator from Massachusetts Mr.
Lodge) that | will vote for his reso
luton.
II was one of the Senators whC
induced the Senate to cast thei
votes in favor of the bill referred to
That wae not done by me alone by
any means, but nearly every South
ern Senator favored its passage
Indeed, Mr.. President, | be lieve al
most the whole church, North anC
South, and every single Bishop, "a
least so far as can remember, will
one or two exceptions, asked tina
the bill be passed by Congress.
The bill came here from tn,
House, having passed that body. 4
Il. .,, Of ~ n1 g,
consideration in the Senate some
thing was said about lobbying ol
the outside in Oroer to get the bill
through. There were such per
sistent rumors atloat that w
thought it necessary to prob
them to the bottom, so as to know
whether or not there was any trutl
in them. The Senator from Florid
(PascO), who had the bill in charge
being the Chairman of the sub com
mittee of the Committee on Claim
from the Senate, wrote to the me-
who really had the control of thi
claim, Messrs. Barbee d Smith.
II am glad nothing is said assail
ing the church. l did not mean t
intimate that the Senator fror
Massachusetts (Hodge) desired t
assail the church, but he cut me OF
before I got through with the re
marks l intended to make, but
agree with that Senator that if thes
agents, Barbee & Smith, hav
violated the confidence we repose
in them, or have done that which
: in any sense improper touching tn
distribution of this fund, the
should be exposed and held strictl,
to account.
1T so happens that l live in th
same town where this establishmer
is located and where these gentle
men also live, and it is presumabl
that l ought to know sOmethin
about this case. l know nothing el
cept what has occurred before til
Senate. | do not know whethe
Barbee & Smith have any legal {
moral right to dispose of any part c
this fund in the way which has bee
charged. 1t may be the waste of th
estate, for they seem to OCCUPY til
position of trustees, and as sucl
therefore, think they have violi
ted their trust, when they unde
take to eXpend such an amount
this for such purpose, and ought {
be held liable under the law.
think the matter ough' to be full
investigated by the courts of I'll
country, and it may yet be so inve
tigated.
Nothing, Mr.. President, has o
Cured since l have been a memb,
of this Senate which has given II
so much chagrin, disappointmet
and modification as the fact tn
every representation made by m,
self and other Senators to the effe
that no attorneys fee and no agent
compensation was carried by Il
bill for the relief Of the book agen
of the Methodist Episcopal Churc
South. seems to have turned out di
ferently, and that the Senate, mi
led by the assurances of Senator
made honestly and in the best
faith and upon good authority, h