The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-10
Two Kinds of smashers.

Mr.. Jay Gould is getting more notoriety
out Of the gift Of $4,000 for church extern
sion purposes to the Presbyterian ministers
who recently met at his house than is pleas
ant to him. Some of the ministers Of New
York are trying to make it appear that they
have a nicer sense of what is right than
those who accepted the gift. A week ago
last Sunday DR.. Parkhurst intimated in
sermon that Mr.. Gould did not get his
wealth honestly, and, therefore. none Of it
ought TO be accepted for Christian work,
and last Sunday DIR. Rainsford, in the
course Of his sermon, said: when l hear
OF a church strong, numerous, influential,
and rich-a body of Christian men remarks
able for the championing OF what they claim
to be apostolic MISUNDERSTANDING
meeting for the extension of Christs church
in the house Of the one man who before the
people of all these United States has con-
fessedly represented what is the very oppo-
site of Christianity-a man who has done
more to degrade and debauch the morals Of
business life than any other citizen-when
this happens, say IL is time TO speak as we'll
as to pray. i state the matter as temperate
ly as can when say a mistake has been
made, which has put tens Of thousands Of
Christian people to the blush; and more.
say it is idle to talk of praying for the ad-
vancement Of Christ's church if such things
are allowed to pass unchallenged, or those
who are responsible for them to pass unre-
buked."
MIR. Gould attends DR.. Paxtons church.
He has been an attendant OF that church
for about seven years When DIR. Paxton's
attention was called to DIR, Rainsford's at
tack on the Presbyterian church and Mr..
Gould, he said to reporter:
"You ask Dr. Rainsford in nv name
where the wealthy men Of his congregation
got their money, and how the men in Wall
street who attend his church came by their
money You ask him that Did they
come by it any more honestly than Mr..
Gould, or as honestly? Peuhl they can't
any of them hold up their heads and cast
the stone. am not defending Mr.. Gould
or Mr.. Gould's methods particularly, but
say this: Mr.. Gould may be continental
smasher. If he is, these men in the Episco>
pal church and in DR.. Rainsford's church
are peanut smashers beside him. Am not
rightp
1t is apparent that the ministers entertain
very different views about Mr.. Gould's gift.
and also that the questions which DR.. Pax
ton wants DIR. Rainsrord to answer are very
pertinent ones. According to DR.. Paxton's
view, a great many men in DR.. Rains
ford's church obtained their wealth
by methods as indefensible as those by
which Mr.. Gould obtained his, assuming, of
course, that what is said about Mr.. GouId's
Wall street transactions is true In his
opinion the only difference between Mr..
Gould and many other wealthy Wall street
men is that he is a continental smasher !"
while they are only peanut smashers"
II DR.. Rainsford can accept, with a clear
conscience, the money of the smaller Wall
street spectators, DIR. Paxton does not see
why he should not accept the money Of the
biggest Spectator of them ALL DR., Pax
toms reasoning is sound enough. The
assumption that there is comparatively little
difference in the methods of men who
operate in Wall street is not a violent one.
An investigation would disclose, probably,
that some of the transactions of the Wall
| street men who attend DIR. Rainsfordis
church, and who help 70 pay his
salary and keep up his church, are as
reprehensible as Mr.. Gould's. Mr..
Gould's have attracted more attention and
been the subject of comment because they
are so much greater. There is no purpose.
of course. to defend the methods by which
Mr.. Gould has accumulated one Of the
greatest fortunes of the world, but it is
curious, as DIR. Paxton points out. that
ministers should object to receiving money
from continental smAsher" while accept
ing it with pleasure from peanut smash
] ers.n