The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-03-17
ABOUT THAT GIFT.

ABOUT THAT GIFT.
TATTLER, in the Asheville Citizen, an
swers THE GLOBES article concerning
JAY GoULD's gift of $35, 900 to a church
in New York. He, she or it, says:
AL FAIRBRoTHER, of THE DURHAM
GLOBE, who prints an Arizona Kicker
SIX afternoons of the week, has taken
exceptions to what | said in my last in
stallment about JAY GOULD's gift OF
$4,000 for religious purposes. THE
GLOBE man has a good deal to say about
the f'good pious folks who have not
made money in railroad stocks as GOULD
has, and who "profess much horror. at
the wickedness and depravity of the age
when there comes along a fellow who
can see beyond his nose, and who in q
lucky deal or timely investment rakes in
a few thousands"
THE GLOBE further SAYS: off JAY
GOULD wanted to give money for any
purpose, provided he got it within the
pale of the law, it was not for the people
receiving it to question either his meth
DDS or his motives" That's what JAY
thinks, exactly, and when he gave the
money he doubtless expected that the
size of the pile would keep the church
from questioning his methods. And
there is a question of his having gotten
his wealth "in the pale of the lava
man cannot amass JAY GoULD's millions
in a lifetime honestly, according to my
judgment.
THE GLOBE SAYS again "The fact that
the same dollar has purchased the dia-
mOnds of the demi monde which buys the
christians crucifiX, does not alter the
character of the crucifix or make it less
sacred" The christian who would take
that kind of a dollar knowingly for the
purchase of crucifiXes, deserves to be
scorned. | say it should make a differ
ence where the money comes from. Chris.
tians do not go to saloOnkeepers with
their subscription lists. Yet, | daresay,
the saloonkt eper is really nearer inside
the pale of the law" than GOULD.
In an editorial on the same subject, Mr..
ROBINSON, the accomplished editor, says
this:
If DIR. PAXTON gave Mr.. GOULD to un-
derstand that the money received from
him would in any degree, go to make it
less necessary for him to change his heart
and lead the life of a true christian, the
pastor took the money under false pre-
lenses and did wrong in so doing. If,
however, DR.. PAXTON plainly told his
millionaire parishoner that the money
was a small matter so far as Mr.. GoULD's
immortal soul was concerned that it was
but a drop in the ocean of %repentant tears
he must shed before he could be born
anew that it could purchase no exemp-
ton of the criticism the pastor must con-
~tinually pass on the life of a man who has
been probably the greatest robber the
world has ever known that, beautiful as
Mr. GoULD,s home life is, he must re-
member that thousands had reason to
wish he would never leave it if, in short,
DIR. PAXTON was honest with JAY GOULD,
just as he would have been to the ordi
nary sinner who came along with a dol
lar and a half and. with that offering AS
his sole merit, asked the doctor to inter
cede for him for his sins were many, then
it was right from every point of view to
take from MIR. GOULD the, to him, really
trifling sum, and do all the good with it
he could.
We judge, however, from DIR. PAXToN's
remarks that as he took the ~millionaire's
money he bowed very low to the golden
calf. We should be glad to be corrected
On that point.
Nothing of the kind. If GOULD, the
giant robber and heartless plunderer,
desired to return a part of his booty-not
to those from whom he stole it, but to
hands which would use it il doing good
then that ends the whole business.
The church and society are to blame
perhaps for allowing such a vampire
and vulture to ride his raids, but if,
within the pale of law he loots a COM
munity or a government, GOULD is not
legally to blame.
If the man saw a church in apparent
need, and from his i'll gotten gains gave
succOr, it is not for the receiver to ques-
ton the motive which prompted the
gift, nor to inquire into the methods by
which the money was obtained.
Money is but a circulating medium-it
buys bread for paupers and diamonds
for rich, it gratities lust and assuages
sorrow. The same dollar may do much.
The question is: If in GoULD's hands
the thousand given would be used to
wreck happiness and impoverish men,
and in PAXToN's hands it would be used
to cause happiness and chose sorrow
from the door of those in need-wEo
should have those dollars?
We say the church, every time.
M EDEE CWWVED