The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-07-01
F. D. LANDER, Editor.
THE PUBLISHING HOUSE CLAIM.

testified before the Senate Commit
tee concerning the now famous
above mentioned claim.
Mr.. Stahlman evidently believes
in the theory that lie we'll stuck to
is as good as the truth, and APP
parently prides himself on talking
spunky to the investigating commit
tee. He seems to be as void of
shame as he is of conscience, and
what he mistakes for a virtue is the
absence of it.
DR.. Barbee's position is alike in
defensible. He admits to having
sent a misleading telegram purpose
IT, to mislead. He admits having
Intentionally deceived the Senate
because he thought he was expected
by one of the Senators to do so, and
because he thought that was the
way to get the appropriation
through.
What pity that so fine charac-
ter should be marred by such an act.
What a sad spectacle that in the
evening of his life such a blight
should come upon so fair a name.
What sad disappointment that he
should so dissipate the hopes of his
friends, and SO everlastingly ruin
his usefulness in the future.
But it seems to us now that the re-
sponsibility is shifted. DR.. Barbee
as the church's agent stands ac-
cused, and convicted of the deceit
with which he is charged. Mr..
Stahlman has his share of the swag
and glories in it. Up to this point
the Church is blameless. For what
ever wrong was done, was done
without the knowledge or consent
of the Church. But now that the
Church knows of the practices en-
ployed, it must either repudiate the
acts of its agents and return the
money fraudulently obtained, OF
else become party to the fraud.
DR.. Hoss, editor of the Christian
Advocate, SCOTS the idea of return
ing the money, and sarcastically
says, it would appear as if we hac
been caught with the booty" and
made to "disgOrge."
The Doctor Editor states the case
fairly well, even though it be MOI
according to his liking. The Church
in all good faith received the money
which later developments show tC
be booty" and while the law will
not, their moral conscience mus
make them "disgorge," or become
party to the fraud of obtaining
money by false representations.
1t matters not what the Senate
may have done in other instances
We hope never to live to see the day
when the Methodist ChurCh will
take for its moral eXemplar the Sen
ate of the United States.
1t matters not how just the claim
and Mr.. Stahlman's argument abou
the business of the claim and thu
Senate being a court, was merely {
fine show of speciOus fol-de-rol, baC
in morals and bad in law. Ever
in court-which strictly speaking
the senate was not-you have M
right to introduce false testimony tt
win ever so meritorious case. Be
sides, only a moral obligation resteC
upon the Senate to pay that claim
they could not be forced as any lega
creditor might; and under the cir
cumstances they had right to ash
Just such questions as they chose
and they had the further right t
take it for granted that the author
lied agent of the Methodist Church
and an ordained minister of the Cos
pel, would tell them the truth.
But these are mere eide issues
Let Stahlman take his ill-gotter
gain and go headlong to the newt.
able destruction that finally awaits
him. Let DIR. Barbee wrestle with
his conscience and his God, and set.
tie the matter between them. Let
the Senate in it's unrighteous in
dignation continue its weak way un-
til the day of reckoning with the
people shall come. Let these things
90 and take care of themselves; but
the simple plain question for the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
to answer, is, "Will you return or
will you keep, money obtained
traudulently, by undue means and
under false representations
The Church cannot afford to do
other than return this money, every
dollar of it. To retain it is to be-
smirch their fair bride with a sus-
plcion that can never be lived down
nor forgotten. To return it is to
make of this seeming calamity a
A.. 81