The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-17
METHODIST
BOOK CONCERN
A Restatement of the Facts
With Reference to the
Claim.
STAHLMAN CONDEMNED
HIS ACTION WILL NOT BEAR THE
TRUE TEST OF TRUTH.
THE CHURCH's RIGHT POSITION
A Statement in Defense of Smith and Barbee'
Telegram. They Did not Intend
10 Deceive.

10 Deceive.
To the Editor:-ITnder the above cap
ton and similar ones your valuable pa
per has published press kilograms con
corning the war claim of our church
against the government. its payment and
the fee paid our attorney. Being rumorS
gathered in Washington, these were
| necessarily more or less unfair in their
statement of the case Therefore, the
whole investigation being over, | ask
room for proper restatement and ask
| that all who have read the kilograms
read this.
The facts are these. Ever since the
war the United States Government has
| owed the Southern Methodist Church
| for the use and damage of its publishing
plant. The true damage was more than
four hundred thousand dollars. In 1878
the Senate committee agreed to pay in
/ lieu of this claim $2SS.000. No one can
! question the obligation of the govern
mcnt. After many years of expensive
and fruitleSS effort to secure our due,
! the Book Concern made n contingent con-
tract with one of the best lawyers in the
land for 30 per cent. he to bear all eX-
penses and take all risks. but with the
| explicit understanding that he use no
| method which was not honorable and
| just. After three years of residence in
| Washington, much labor. and skilful
| anagement. without the use of one
penny in any corrupt or dishonest man
ner, he secured the paymehtlf the claim.
| According to the report of the Senate
committee absolutely no blame attaches
| for anything to the church, and none to
the book agents or the attorney except
| with reference to correspondence and
| kilograms passed concerning the fee to
be paid Attorney Stahlman.
! However. back of most Of the criti-
cisms lies the idea that the authorities
We're culpable for employing a lobbyist
at all or at any rate for paying him
| 100000. | submit that lobbying is
necessary to the passage of the most
righteous claim, that it is universally
customary. and that where guarded as it
| was in this contract and exercised as it
was in this case-barring statements as
| to fee-it is no ground for blame to the
| claimant. Alas! that / can not say that
| its necessity is no ground of impeach-
! ment of the honesty Of our government,
and of the fidelity of its legislators. As
| to the price paid. the per cent. was not
unusually large: wasn't, according to the
| Judgment Of the authorities of the
4, church. too large; and the claim being n
! debt and not Il gift the percent was none
! of the business of the Senate of the
United States of the press, of any one
| else except Of the church. The book
committee. composed of many of the
| truest and best men of our church, the
committee of the general conference and
the general conference, do not think the
contract of its agents was a foolish one.
! To his own master the servant standeth
or falleth. But what business man hav-
| ing war claim against the government,
| due thirty years, unpaid after his most
| vigorous efforts, already Il source of
much expense to him, would not have
paid 30. 40 or 80 per cent for it's col
| lection?
Every fact brought out by the Senate
committee in its report was n cOmpli-
ment to the church and its agents except
the statements as to the fee. AS for
that, | have no word of defense for
Judge Stahlman. He does not hesitate
to say that he used expressions formally
true with the purpose to deceive the Sen
atOrs with reference to matters which
were none of their concern. Such con
duct will not bear the true test of truth.
ANtNtlt lltltSS L dSh tIdL IdNNtT. tuItDE
or politician who has never made estate
ments formally true with the purpose to
deceive in matters not Of right inquired
into by the other party, to cast the first
stones
AS to our book agents. the case is
different. They made statements which
were true, which would not necessarily
deceive except when joined to Judge
ST. hlpnan'c CT nf which ho,
were ignorant and were ignorant
of the misuse of their state
ments until too late to correct them
SO far as facts go there is no proof Of
any purpose to deceive and they say
| their purpose was only to withhold the
exact per cent. of the fee, n matter into
which the Senators had no right to in
quire The authorities of the church.
knowing Barbee d Smith. believe their
statement. The Senate cOmmittee-cer-
talnly not an unbiased tribunal of the
disgraccful and untruthful language in
dulged in by the Senate prior to it's APP
ponfment-seemS not to have believed
them. They doubtless are willing 20 rest
their case on the judgment of the book
! committee, endorsed as it was by the
bishops of the church..
However, as the case stands, though
the deception involved nothing material
TO our claim, and though we do not think
our agents purposed decepSon, yet as
there was deception. our bishops have
notified the Senate that if it will say by
an affirmative vote that the bill would
not have been passed but for the mis-
understanding. they will see that every
cent is returned to the United States.
We have asked no gift. we want none.
we will have none. The church awaits
their action. n. III. WILSON.
Chapel Hill, n. c., July -, 1893.
Thousands of persons have been cured