The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-24
METHODIST WAR CLAIM.
A Statement From MIR. s. b. Adams In
Explanation.

Dallas, Tex, May zS.-Eultor MorH-
ing News: The public prints have con-
tanned dispatches and other statements
about the war claim which have not
! always been accurate or clear. On ac-
count of my interest in the church and
my desire to have the matter more
clearly understood, 1 would like to have
! this communication published.
| The act of Congress which appro-
! priated the sum of $685. 900 towards the
payment of the claim of the Southern
Methodist Church, had no condition, of
any kind, attached to it. There is rea-
+ son to believe that but for the fact that
some senators were misled an amend
ment would have been passed limiting
the compensation to be paid to the at
| torney for services to the sum of So
| 900.
There has never been any question
| as to the justice of the claim. A few
| Senators "a decided minority were in
clined to the opinion that on a legal
| principle, sometimes expressed in the
! phrase "enemys country, enemy S
| property that there was no legal
claim against the Government enfor-
chile in the courts, but that our pub
| fishing house was damaged to the ex-
| tent of the amount claimed and paid,
seems not to have been questioned.
A number of Congressional commit
tees had reported in favor of the pay
| mant of the claim. When the Govern
ment took charge of the publishing
house in Nashville, the Federal author
| tiles had re-established the control of
| the United States. Not only were the
Federal forces in charge, but Andrew
Johnson had been installed as COVER
ror of Tennessee, and the Federal
courts were being held. On this
| ground, Senator Morgan and others
urged that the principle mentioned did
not apply, and that the claim was not
only a just claim, but strictly legal
claim.
The misleading statements of our
book agents Zone a minister and the
other a layman) did not affect the
merits of the claim in any way, but
related to the question as to whether
a large fee was to be paid to one E.
b. Stahlman, who had been employed
to prosecute the claim, and who had
been working upon it for a number of
years. These book agents thought that
| it was no concern of the government
as to whether any fee was to be paid
| to Mr.. Stahlman, and that the only
| proper inquiry for the government was
whether the claim was a just one. So
| thinking, they pursued the policy of
concealment and made statements
which are generally regarded as mis-
! leading.
These agents did not profit to the
extent of one dollar by the collection
| of the claim, and there is no room for
the theory of any mercenary or selfish
purpose-they simply permitted their
zeal for the church, which they have
| served for many years with great fidel-
| ity, to betray them into a lack of the
| frankness and candor which ordinar-
| lily characterized them. Both of them
have always stGDd very high in the
estimation of all who have known
| them.
When the Senate discovered that the
kilograms of these book agents in re-
| Spouse to inquiries from Senators
Pasco and Bate had been misleading
and had probably prevented the pro-
| posed amendment limiting the amount
of fee to be paid, they were natural
| ly indignant, and an investigation was
| had, in which these book agents, Mr..
Stahlman, the attorney and others
were closely Intercepted under oath.
The Senate adopted unanimously the
report of the investigating committee,
| which found in terms that the church
was entirely blameless in the matter,
and that the misstatements and con-
| cealments of the representatives of the
| church effected only the benefciaries
of the fund. Our bishops caused a let
ter to be addressed to the Senate, call
ing attention to the statements made
upon the floor of the Senate to the ef-
feet that some of the members of that
the payment of the fee, and
concluded their letter as follows:
while reffiarming the business of
our claim, payment of which has been
standing for twenty-five years, we in
sist that the church cannot afford to
accept it as a gratuity, or on condi-
tions that reflect upon its honor. In
asmuch as some senators have affirm
ed 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
Senate, by affirmative action, declares
that the passage of the bill was due
to such misleading statements, we will
take the proper steps to have the en-
tire amount returned to the govern
ment." Final action was taken by the
Senate on Feb. q, 1899. by resolution
unanimously adopted, stating again
that the church was wholly blameless
and that these representations had
injured only the benehciarieS of the
fund preachers and the widows and
orphans of deceased preachers) who
would have been protected against
this exorbitant fee, by a provision linn
iting it to $1,000, had not the mislead-
ind statements been made. In addi-
ton to this, Senators Bacon and Clay
of Georgia and some seventy-seven
senators Gncluding a majority of the
senators in office when the act was
passed and when the Senate investi-
gated the matter) have written let
ter to Bishop. Gambler of our church,
stating that they regarded the letter
of our bishops as a tender of the
money, and that the resolution of the
Senate was a reply thereto, and meant
that the money was not to be return
ed, and insisted that it ought not to
be- and that it would simply result in
rendered. This letter has had natur-
ally a considerable influence with the
delegates. Notwithstanding the letter
however, on a vote taken in the con-
ference to-day, to return the entire
amount. there were los votes in favor
of returning to 159 votes against.
1t ought also to be borne in mind
that there has been no charge of an
improper use of money by any
one, or of any fraud or conceal
ment as to the jus tness of the claim.
/ would like also to have IL distinctly
understood that this attorney or agent
(E. b. Stahlman) is not a minister or
a lawyer, although I am Obliged TO adj
NIT that his is a member of the