The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-09-09
PUBLISHING HOC Sc CLAIM.
The College Of Bishops Have Notified
President Mckinley,
That the Money viii All BE Returned to
the Treasury, But Not to the
"COnscience Fund"
From the Nashville Christian Advocate. J

From the Nashville Christian Advocate. ]
We had hoped that it would not be
necessary for us to say anything
more in regard to our Publishing
House Claim. But the continued
agitation of the matter in many
journals, North and South, forces us
to make another statement. When
the bishops met in this city in June
last they published the following
card as the result of their delibera-
tions:
"While reaffirming the business of our
claim, payment of which has been
sought for twenty-five years, we insist
that the Church cannot afford to accept
1t as gratuity or on conditions that re-
fleet upon its honor. Inasmuch, there
fore, as some Senators have affirmed on
the floor of the Senate that they were
induced to support the claim by mis-
leading statements on the part of the
representatives of the Church-state-
ments, however, which did not affect
the merits of our claim-we hereby give
this assurance: that if the Senate, by
affirmative action, declares that the pas
sage OF the bill was due to such mis-
Leading statements, we will take the
proper steps to have the entire amount
returned to the Government. ..
Since tuat time the Senate Com
-mittee of Investigation, while COM
pletely exonerating the Church from
all blame, while declaring in the
most explicit manner that not cent
of money was used to influence the
vote of any Senator or Representa-
tive in the matter of the appropria-
tion or to further any other corrupt
ends, while effectually disposing of
the malicious allegation that false
representations were made in regard
to the claim, and while stripping the
case bare of all the rumors and sus-
picions that had gathered about it,
has nevertheless reported that but
for certain alleged misstatements of
our attorney, and evasive answers of
our Book Agents, concerning the
contingent fee to be paid the Senate
would not have passed the bill with
out at least affiXing some amend
ment of it.
If, as seems likely, this report
should be adopted by the Senate, it
will become necessary for the bish-
ops to at once redeem their pledge
to the public; and we do not hesi.
tate to express our belief that they
will do so. AS matter of fact they
have already, through the Secretary
of the College, given notice of their
intention, both to President McKin-
ley and to Vice President Hobart.
! The next step will be to ask the SEN
ate when it cOnveneS to make pro-
vision for the acceptance of the $28S,-
0OO AT present there is no way of
getting the money into the Treasury
except by putting it in the "COnsci.
ence Fund" 1t WiU neUer go that
! route.
That there will be some opposition
TO the proposed return of the money,
we are sure; and it will come in
many instances from as sound and
thoughtful men as the Church holds.
Such men insist, and justly, that the
! Government has not been wronged
out Of a solitary cent; that misrep-
resentation as to the fee does not
have the leasJ bearing on the merits
of the claim; that the Church never
even remotely solicited a charity
nor asked for donation, but only
insisted upon the payment of an
honest debt; and that the Senate
could not have voted a gratuity
without first forgetting the great
principle that public funds may not
lawfully be bestowed on private or
corporate organizations. That there
is something in this view, who can
deny?
But there is another side to the
case. The whole affair has become
so confused in the public mind that
nothing can clear the situation but q
great act of elf.renunciatiOn on the
part of the Church. There come
times in the history of individual;
and of organizations when they can.
not stand on the platform of alb
stract rights, but must deal witt
conditions as they actually exist
To pay back this $288, 600 will, it il
true, be a work of supererOgation
something more, that il, than is de
manded by the letter of the mora
law. But it will be so convincing {
demonstration of the integrity of tht
} Church, so clear proof of her un
Willingness to profit by anything
that might give even her worst enc
my a. opportunity to lift the flnge
of scorn against her, or to assail thl
spotless purity of her motives, tina
we sincerely think she ought not t,
hesitate as to what she will do. W.
beg all our friends, therefore, tn
ministry and the laity alike, to sup
, port the bishops in the programme
which they have mapped out. An.
decided opposition to this cours
may result in complications tina
cannot be easily untangled.
Whether the Senate will respOnt
to the request of the bishops is NOR
than we can say. That is not gu
lookout. But we do not see how, i
t the light of all the facts, that bod
2 can refuse to give respectful heed t
. the request of a great Church whe
, it is courteously presented througI
9 her chief pastors.
e We have written plainly and ye
: without passion. Our object
= avoiding personalities OF every sol
! is to prevent, as far as may be, tn
( importation of alien elements int
=. the discussion of question tha
! ought to be considered in perfectl
t dry light. Standing as we do wher
- all the seas meet, we are deeply i'm
q pressed with the necessity of wis,
. Iss..o,-,an;p,ons | anH harpnnniOus af