Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-18
THE nILL OF THE BOOK HOUSE.


THE BILL OF THE BOOK HOUSE,
Our readers will find much truth wen
stated in the following editorial article
| from the Nashville Americana:
In the matter of the Methodist claim
! the Senate of the United States mas ue-
welcomed a strange sensitiveness, the OUT
ward evidences OF which smack rather OIL
stage play. o,o,,,
The Methodist Church has war claim
of more or less virtue against the govern,
ment. Efforts to collect II fan again anu
again, and hope has been apahdoneu
Then comes Major Stahlman ana express
es the opinion that he may be able to col
loot n He is laughed at, doubtless. but
he PERSISTS, and proposes, 1t seems 10
work for the claim at his own expense
nrovided one-third OF whatever he may
recover be given him.
The business representatives OF the
Church looked upon the matter doubling
ly and lightly at best. but Major Stahl-
man buckled down to the thing with All
his peculiar method and everlasting en-
erey. He labored three or four years
and. Il is said, spent $1,000 OF his own
money-against the bare possibility OF
getting the bill through Congress, with
the chances decidedly against II. II ne
had failed, no one would have known OF
his endeavors or of his losses. But ne
succeeded, and the Church has secured
what 1t could have gotten by no other
means.
While the Senate is Tuning 1t occurs TO
the average citizen that it is the Senate
itself that is at fault. If the claim was a
lust one, what right has the Senate to
saw whether the Church shall pay It's
debts or buy bonds or pension its preach
ers with the money? If the claim was
not Just, why did the Senate agree to 1t?
The reports show that the senators were
aware that Mr.. Stahlman was working ior
the bill. and it is the veriest rot for any
of them to say they believed he was do
ing so for nothing.
The ways of the world are not all plea
SAINT 10 contemplate. One fact that Is par
ticularly unpleasant is the habit or lob
byng for legislation, especially where
private appropriation is involved. we
read Of many sweet things In the sunday
school books, but the observant man Is
still stared in the face by such ugly
visions as the fact that probably not one
private claim since the foundation or the
law. however Just, has been paid except
as the result of the most persistent en-
deavor upon the part of some one or ones
vitality interested. Nowhere is this fact
more positively known than in the Senate
of the United States.
The claim has been paid by Congress as
the result of usual methods. The agent
who secured the passage of the bill has
received his share according to agree
ment. The matter has been reported to
the conference and accepted. Without
going deeper into the matter, we are de-
cidedly Of the opinion that here the thing
should rest.
OF course the matter is not going to
be allowed to rest where it is. The Sem
ate has appointed a committee to- inves-
tigate it. and the Methodist Book Com
mittee has chosen a subcommittee of
five to represent its interests before the
senators.
AS we understand the issue, it is
whether Major Stahlman and Barbee IL
smith, the agents of the publishing
house did, or did not, misrepresent i'm
portant facts. 1t is alleged that Stahlman
represented to senators that he was to
receive no pay for his services, but was
to be reimbursed for his actual expenses,
and that Barbee & Smith backed up his
1t is now believed that the Senate would
not have voted the $2SS,000 If it had
known that 50 per cent. of it was going
to attorneys However that may be, 1t
cannot be successfully denied that the
S2SS.OO0 was less than the loss actually
suffered by the book house by reason Of
the seizure and occupation of its pro-
perty by the Federal army.
Another thing is clear, and this is that
the Methodist people of the South know
well enough that their Church, as a
Church, is guiltless of any wrong doing,
and there is evidence at hand to show
that they will insist that If their agents
were guilty of the deception charged the
book house must not consent to profit
thereby.
So far as the Dispatch can see or hear,
there is no allegation that any one was
induced to vote for the appropriation by
pecunfary considerations. We suppose,
therefore, that the expenses said to have
been incurred by Major Stahlman were
mainly for help secured by him to bring
the claim to the favorable consideration
of Senators and Representatives. Con-
gress having allowed thirty-five years TO
pass without voting the amount due.