The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1898-07-21
rHH TWO SIDES.

II
1t appears that the Bishops of the ]
NJ. E. Church Solth have committed
thoroughly to the task of
returning the amount of the claim
allowed and paid by Conf;
gress-a matter which has extracted
widespread attention and very much I
comment.
The Bishops threw down the
gauntlet to the United States Senate
and declared if the Senate decided
that the allowance of the claim was
procured by deception and falsifying
they would see that every dollar of
the amount was returned. Where
upon, the Senate did decide that in
securing the passage of the claim
deceptive and misleading tactics were
employed by the book agents and |
their attorney or lobbyist, one
Judge S.ahlmaD, but the church
itself was thoroughly exonerated of
any completely in the deception used.
We presume the Bishops will pro-
C0eu 10 uldke RopO
but it does seem hard that the
church has been placed in a position
by indiscreet officials, the book
agents, TO relinquish sum that has
been Justly due the church by the
government for thirty years or
more. at the same time the principle
enunciated by thu Bishops, that ths
| church cannot afford to receive
money, even that honestly due it,
about which there fingers faint of
fraud or deception, has met with
high approval It also behooyes the
church to give the closest scrutiny to
the charges fled against it's official
servants, the book agents, and
ascertain whether or not these
charges are sustained by the IN
vanished truth of the situation and
deal with them accordingly. II Bar
bee and Smith are innocent it is due
them and the church that the fact be
thoroughly established. If they are
guilty, the church cannot afford to
continue them in high official posi-
ton. This, We takeit, is the correct
} view from the church side of the con
troversy.
, There is another ptase of this
matter viii n should not be ignored,
} and that is the r, Il ction upon the
, rnment which ia made apI aren't
by this controversy. Upon this
) point the Asheville Citizen we'll says
Now the correct thing for the
, Senate is to so mend it's way that an
, admittedly just claim will not again
have to knock at the vaults 'tf the
United States Treasury for thirty
years before it is paid, and then only
3 half paid, and, worse than all, only
6 paid on the showing made by PRO
fessional lobbyists who demand ex
| tortionate fees. The revelations thai
: have transpired in the investigation
: of this e IF ir have been as discredit
p able to the Senate rs To Stahlman OIL
Barbee and Smith A Legislative
body that refuses for generation tt
; pay an honest debt is not NOR,
: honorable than an individual tina
does the same thing
Along the same line, the Washing.
;. ton Post has n strong editorial from
u which we take the following extracts
. "Thn story ia an old one, the stor,
+ OF vile and discreditable system
a | thousands of whose victims hav
O died of broken hearts, while tbous
. ands more, here and elsewhere, ar
monuments of it's cruelty and shame
Re
e "This claim of the Methodist Boo
e Concern represented just and hon
est inde b -edness on the part of tn
government to one of the mos
u honOrab BILE and excellent association
u in this or any other country. Flo
re years it had been haunting commit
10 tee rooms end Hobbies, always to b
~ snubbed, forgotten or ignored. Tn
most convincing statements OF il
u validity produced no good results
C. Delegations came, importance
D. beg ed for recognition, prayed &c
= audience, and then vanished. Yea
after year, session after session, til
10 disgraceful sps ctaele was reproduced
IN Time and time again, honest me
ID were taught by sad experience the
Ia Congress has little time to waste O
a applications with nothing but justit
- at their back. Then the churc
authorities, despairing of success b
ordinary methods, employed a
ce agent experience, d in the methods ,
lp the lobby and at last the claim We
ar recognized.
Gas we see the matter, the lei
~ eiamor raised by Senators over tn
in episode, the better for the good nan
as OF the BODY to which they appertail
70 The louder the noise they make, tt
more deeply they impress upon Il
" American people the humiliating fa'
er that il flence, not Justice, is the ope
in sesame at the Capitol
q ----