The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-06
stahIman's Testimony.


Maj. stahlman, who received a fee of
slG0,SOO from the agents of the Southern
Methodist Book concern for his services
in getting a claim of s2sS, 90 of the book
concern allowed by Congress, talked very
plainly to the Senate committee which is
investigating the question as TO whether
the allowance Of the claim was secured
by fair means.
1t seems that the claim would not have
been allowed If the Senate had known
that large part Of It was to be paid to an
attorney for services, though why the
Senate should have been 50 remarkably
sensitive in respect 10 an attorneys fee
in this case, in view of the fact that about
50 per cent of nearly every claim allowed
by Congress is paid to an attorney, is a
matter concerning which no explanation
is offered.
What the Senate feels aggrieved about
is that fee was paid for getting the
claim allowed when It was distinctly I'M
derstood that there was no contract for
The payment of any fee, and the belief pre-
Vailed that no fee was to be paid. In
other words, the Senate is in bad humor
over this allowance Of the claim of the
book concern OF the Methodist Church,
South not SO much because an attorney
was paid a fee out of the claim, but be-
cause an attorney was paid notwithstand-
ing its efforts TO prevent the payment Of
such a fee and because the payment was
made in the face of an understanding that
there was to be no fee paid anyone.
Maj. Stahlman, in his frank talk to the
| investigating committee, said that the
committee was well aware of the fact
that pretty nearly all those VINO succeed
in getting claims allowed by Congress
have to pay attorneys. If they didn't
! have attorneys they would never get their
| claims allowed. That statement is virtu-
ally true, and explains why 1t was that
the agents of the book concern of the
Methodist Church, South, had to give
away more than a third of the amount
of their claim in order to get the claim
allowed.
The claim had been before Congress for
thirty years, and would have remained
there thirty years longer, in all probabil-
| lily, if Mr.. Stahlman had not been emf
ployed to push it, He told the committee
that he was not boy to be told by sena-
| tors or representa- tives what he ought to
do or not TO do In prosecuting claims before
Congress. He said that he had worked for
three years and a half for the claim, and
felt that he had earned all that he had re-
| ceived. he fee. he admitted seemed
large, but before taking hold of the claim
he earned ar income of about $75 coo
year. Therefore, the contract which he
had with agents of the book concern was
not such a remarkably good one from his
point of view
Maj. Stahlman said quite plainly to the
committee that he did not think it was
any of the committees business to inquire
as to what became of the money after it
had passed into the hands of the book
concern agents. He told the COMMITTEES
however, all the facts of his connection
with the case He has his fee, and it is
quite certain he viii keep it. The South
ern Methodist Church may refuse to ac-
cept the part of the claim which will re-
main to it.
The conclusions to be drawn from this
case are that the only thing of which
senators have right to complain in con-
nection with it IS that they were deceived
by Maj. Stahlman and Messrs. Barbee &
Smith; also that Congress is to blame for
the fact that the Southern Methodist
Church had to pay so large a sum for get
ting its claim allowed. If Maj. Stahlman
and Messrs. Barbee & Smith had not mis-
led the Senate as to whether fee was to
he paid or not the claim would not, in all
probability, have been allowed. If Con-
gress were to deal more justly with claim
ants it wouldn't afford opportunities for
| scandals like that which has cropped out
in connection with the Southern Metho-
! dist book concern case.