The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-08
RETURN THE MONEY
METHoDISTs DECLARE THEM
SELVES UNMISTAKABLY.
WIPE OUT WAR CLAIM STAIN.
DOCTRINE THAT END JUSTIFIEs
THE MEANS is sPURNED.

Strong Resolution, Ohered by sam
ueI u. Adams of Savannah, Sets
Forth the Position of the South
Georgia Branch of the Church
Very CIearly-The Action of the
Church's Agents in the Matter
condemned and the Structures OF
the Senate Committee AcIxnOwI-
eyed to BE Just.
Macon. Ga. Dec. 1.-The next meet
ing of the South Georgia Conference
will be held at Thomasville. The ap-
pointments will be announced Mon
day morning. Bishop Galloway will
ursach at Mulberry Street Church to-
morrow morning and Bishop Gambler
tomorrow night.
The following resolution relative to
the war claim of $2SS,OOO, paid to the
church through its book agents, was
unanimously adopted, and the secre-
tary of the South Georgia Conference
was requested to transmit to the gen.
eral conference a certified copy of
the resolutions. Mr.. S. B. Adams of
Savannah introduced the resolution,
which is as follows:
Whereas, the bishops of our church.
on the 26th day of August, 1893, ad-
dressed to the presiding officer of the
United States Senate an official COM
munication concerning the war claim
of $685. 900, paid to the church through
its book agents, in which they used
the following language: While re-
affirming the justness of our claim,
payment of which has been sought for
twenty-five years, we insist that the
church cannot afford to accept it as.
a gratuity, or as a reflection upon it's
honor. Inasmuch, therefore, as some
senators have affirmed, on the floor
of the Senate, that they were induced
to support the claim by misleading
statements on the part of the
representatives Of the church
statements, however, which did not af-
feet the merits of our claim, we here
by give this assurance that if the SEN
ate by affirmative action declares that
the passage of the bill was due to such
misleading statements, we will take
proper steps to have the entire amount
returned to the government; and,
Whereas, This letter from our bish-
CPS eorrectIx states the attitude of
cur lttffGa And attests their Jealous
care Tor its good name, consistently
with its understanding it cannot retain
the possession of money or property
securs1 by Reception. no matter how
iust the iofaim in the collection of
W hicn the deception was used; and,
senator's Were MisIed.
Whereas, The Senate committee to
whom was referred this communica-
ton have in their report declared that
senators were not only purposely and
wilfully misled by the attorney en-
ployed by the book agents, as to the
existence of a contract to pay this at
torney IS per cent. of the recovery,
but that the book agents were par
ties to this deception, saying among
other things that if these 'denials of the
existence OF a contract had not been
made to the Senate from the source
which was entitled to entire credit, the
bill would not have been passed, the
Senate. unless it had been so amend
ed as to protect the beneffciaries from
what many senators regarded as a
wasteful and improper use of the fund
by the payment of an excessive and
unreasonable fee. Such an amend
ment was within the power OF
the Senate, and one would have
been adopted IN the nature of con-
uALlOH ludl lElG OnlteQ OldbCo VONt0
recognize and pay, this claim, provid-
ing that the fruits of it were to act
ually go to the beneficiaries of the fund
that had suffered by the taking of the
property by the United States during
the war. The book agents could have
accepted or rejected the settlement
with this condition attached, and they
would have doubtless had the oppor-
tunity of doing So but for the mislead-
mi -ntaf 70
inquiry about the contract, and
Whereas this report was made 70
the Senate July s, 1898, and was adopt
ed by a resolution of the Senate, pass
ed Jan. 3, 1899, as expressive of the
views of the Senate and as containing
its response to the proposition of our
Bishops inviting the action of that
body, which resolution in terms ap-
proves the report Of the committee,
While it states that no censure should
rest upon the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, for the mis- s-statements
and concealments of the book agents
In connection with the passage of the
Dill, and that the church alone had been
Injured by these mis-statements and
concealments. and
Whereas, we are constrained to ad-
NIT that the structures upon the con-
duct of our book agents were not only
the evidence before the committee that
passage of the bill paying the money
was secured by deception, and that
the possession of the money
Gust and righteous, though the claim
itselO, is tainted with, this fraud on
the part of the agents of our church,
who In this matter. were our represen-
tatives, and therefore, II follows that
the money ought to be returned and
the status quo thus restored,
Return of Entire Fund Urged.
Therefore, be it resolved. First. that
we hereby request our general confer
enee, which is to meet in May next,
TO take prompt and complete action
Tor the return Of the entire fund to
the United States treasurer, this be-
ing in our judgment the only course
that Is consistent with the assurance
contained In the letter of our bishops,
and the action of the Senate thereon,
the facts Of the case, and the honor
and dignity OF our church. which can-
not either. by precept or example. toll
crate the perniclous doctrine that the
end, no matter how righteous, justi-
fies the means. II these means are not
right.
Second that the secretary OF this
conference transmit 70 the general con-
Terence certified copy Of these reso-
lutiona."
The presidents Of Wesleyan College,
Emory College. Mamie Lou Warthen
Institute and Andrew Female College