The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-09
s1AHLMAN TAKES THE STAND.
r. THAT HE STOPPED TO
Az SHADY METHODS.

"a
s.,,te Committee Makes Its
Exonerates the Church
Members of Congress From
IL in thc Transactions.
..,,.-.,a. July S.-The Senate com
w. on .lasms to-day made its report
mn ~. tryesugatlon made by the com
uP''' ,-r, the payment of the claim OF the
mn. -,5k concern, and the payment
NJ, B. stanlman of 100000 as an
IN Getting The claim through
as. r.,,., Of the committee says: THE
~, ts ore the committee clearly
IS rrat no part of the sum received by
s s-' s,5.nlan was paid 10 Messrs. Barbee
sa,,,5 for tneir personal use, or to any
,r o~ member of Congress or to any
.,ss- n.rs5a for corrupt purposes"
-,.re3or, also says that: Mr.. Stahlman
-,,-s--4.l5n and correspondence with
..ors ana representatives concealed
.-.- them all knowledge of the existence
-o,.r3.t withheld from them all In
<.-u,,.a r.aarding it and purposely and
-,a,ll. rv misleading, if not by false
..a,snsots impressed them with the be
n.stb,t Mr. Stahlman was not acting as
-. accent or attorney of the book agents
-.,b the .xqee.auon of pecuniary remun-
....oo for his services, but as a personal
[...,4 of the book agents and a member of
The church
Refsrrng to the assurance received from
us.srs Rarbee & Smith, the committee
s,,s. .No candid person who examines this
correspondence can reach any other con
,lps.an than chat the subject of this inquiry
was tbe. existence of such a contract, and
ra the percentage that an attorney was
70 receive The replies of the book agents
n this letter and telegram make it mani
fs- that the policy Of silence with refer
enc to the contracts was maintained to
the end. even 10 the extent of Withholding
the truth and misleading and deceiving
those who made an earnest effort to OBJ
tan it,
With reference to the church itself, the
committee says: The committee deems it
pr5rer TO state that no censure should rest
up5n the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. for the acts of its book agents The
church has been injured by the misconduct
Of lis agents, and for such misconduct it
held entirely blameless."
The testimony taken was also made pub
lc The principal witnesses were Mr..
Sahman aud Mr.. Barbee.
Mr. Stahlman said ne had been giving
more or less attention TO the claim since
1892 but that the contract for 80 per cent.
had been made in 1895.
Mr. Stahman said he had cautioned the
book agents against making the contract
public, because" he continued, IF 1
went to Washington as their representa-
tive for a fee of any amount 1 would just
be bounded day in and day out, and that
would probably fail into the hands of
the vul-ure who hang around the capitol,
which would involve the passage of the
measure IN questionable methods. They
agreed to that
Mr.. Sahlman said he had told Senator
Pasc0 that he had no contract with the
book agents Technically this was cor
rect as his contract was with the book
committee
Senator Fairbanks-Did Senator Pasco
ask you whether or not you had a con-
ungert fee in this claim?
1lr. Stahlmau-He did not. I will saw
t1E though, for Senator Pasco; he had a
rsat to assume that no contract existed.
The Chairman-And that no fee was to
b. pail2
Mr Si9hlman-Yes.
He said he mad also allowed Senators
Bacon Clay and Lindsay to understand
mat no attorneys fees was to be re-
Ceived
He had told Senator Turley subsequent
" the passage of the bill that the money
Nds all n, -,,,.v-
ana 'nev could do what they pleased
Win IL aftorWard"
N reply 10 question from Senator Tel
nj Us TO whether members of the book
WuHAltte on he book agents had receiv-
- a15 snare OF the profits, Mr.. Stahlman
sPeI DO the negative. also stating that
!t ne u'd pad no money to attorneys with
VI, intention Of reaching Congress.
I'l. 0'4anan said he was willing TO be
eel responsible, adding "even If Mr..
SEAMAN be made the martyr Peter de-
u'gl ms Lord three times. He told a
B. 10 not claim to be better than
l5' ~ Peter was forgiven, and if the
4lgA was founded upon the rock of
4 - 9'lnIman can be forgiven for the
0tl5 be hes committed"
,''' iiIoee, in his explanation of the re-
D. WmSeH ana Mr.. Smith to Senator
4 CO.. 'e.esfam, says: Senator Pasco
4 did ~. .o us perspicuously that you
n sS want any Information. but that he
, ,sA,1 us TO deny a runor 10 the effect
4 c,s.r were to pay 40 per cent of the
& ~ seemed to us as If the inquiry
4 n ltiOioIaded to us in such a way as
If ,astsoTtcal answer in the form
H. "'aL and we answered according
& rar,. stated the exact fact that the
4 % Den "... untrue that we were paying
4rNI