The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-21
RESERVATIONS WANTED.
Atlanta Methodist Preachers Association
Reyives the Book Affair.
BLAME Is PLACED ON BARBEf AND SMITH
and Says Tint the Greed of the
Church Is Responsible.

Atlanta. Ga. February 20.--The regular
weekly meeting or the Methodist minister.
| oil Atlanta was cnllyened by a sensationa
| argument on the Methodist Book Publish.
| Ing house Resolutions were adopted demand.
| ing the resignation OF Nfcssrs. Barbcc and
! Smith. In defense OF agents. onc OF the min
| isttrs said the Methodist church had brought
! the shame ON itself by asking for ~, money.
and made the further statement that tn,
| Methodist Episcopal church had much to
| do in bringing about the civil war.
at the opening of tho meeting Dr. W. l..
| studley. chairman of the preachers associa-
ton. introduced the subject with a short
reference TO the report from Senator Clay.
| which left the church in in embarrassing po-
sttion before the world.
"A gentleman from Nashville said he.
| told mo the ether day that this matter is
| gradually subsiding in that city. But we
| don't want 1t TO subside The ministers
meeting and other official bodies should send
! DR.. Collins Denny. chairman of the book
committee protest aeainst settling the
matter In any but the right way.
Roy. u. q. Hughes injected that tho
United States senate virtually arrested the
Methodist Episcopal church tSouthl. The
publishing house matter BROUGHT shame 10
al Methodists in the South in the way those
questions asked of 1t we've evadcd during the
Investigation of the troIble lie said FUR
Their that legal fraud and deception we're
| used by the Methodist Episcopal church for
securing these funds was clearly s1owD TO
be tho opinion Of the senate by It's acts IN
tirely removed that stigma by "a positive
repudiaton Of some sort.
Rev. Frank Fakes made u partial defense
of Barbee and Smith the agents,
They were victims Of the church. he
said emphaticaIly. They arc victims OF
the greed Of tho church. Tho church told
thDt n
from the United States for damages done
the Nashville publishing house during the
war amounting. with It's interest to several
hundred Thousand dollars,
they We're instructed said Rev. Mr..
Elkes Ito Eet this money by any means
whatever. so they did not bring dlshonor on
the church, They simply did what the church
toG them to do. The shame IS continued
Rev DR.. Fakes. THAT the church should have
ASKED for dime of this appropriation. mat
is Row the disgrace came. t3arbec and Smith
only acted by direction Of the church.
When Mr.. Cakes went further and said that
IN bis opinion. from all he had read concern,
ing the war. that the Methodist Episcopal
church had much to do with bringing about
tho meeting He took a decided stand against
col.demnng Barbec and Smith without fur
ther investigation. He was of the opinion that
Barbse and Smith had not been treated fairly
Mr.. joel T. Avery rose to Offer some infor-
nation IN the matter. He pFefaced the. read
irG of a resolution by a strong protest against
Rev Fakes position. He was equally as de-
cided against as MIR. Fakes In favor of
Civ pg the publishers further hearing. lie
said: They are using every means to keep
their place and protect their names. Nine
tenths of the people wish their resignation.
| bslleVe.'
X. NJ. Mcintosh of oxford made an almost
startling speech on the immediate necessity
of removing the stigma of deliberate fraud
from the Methodist church. He was in favor
of demanding the resigsatlons of the book
agents.
Ills most virile condemnation. however, fell
on the attorney employed by Barbce and
Smith. Il. b. Stahlman.