Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-02-11
Saint Maru's Beacon


GEOm Tue I'VE - IOWTWOss
There was . clashing of many
tongues in New York pulpits Sun
day over the propriety Of the Brad :
ley-Martin ball. In synagogue and
in church, from Baptist and from
Reformed pulpits, there proceeded
o grand and eloquent chorus Of
which the dominant note was de-
nunciation of the rich for taking
their pleasure magnificently.
But the clergy regard the ques-
ton at issue from the wrong point
of view. The legal right Of o man
to do what he will with his own,
provided it be not harmful to any
one, is not to be doubted. The
ethical right 10 scarcely to be ques-
toned except by those who accept
literally Christ's command, "Sell
ell that thou hast and give to the
poor" and we fear that the apostles
of that creed are neither numerous
nor influential today.
Attack on the participants in
this discussed festivity Dor.
ders upon impertinence, but attack
upon o social and industrial system
which creates such contrasts az, to
quote Rev. CORTLAND Meyers,
"25O,O00 people in want Of food
aud coal and $3.50, 900 squandered
in single society ball" Yet the
clergy with one accord ignore the
causes which lead to the concentra-
ton of wealth and the dissemina-
ton Of poverty.
Perhaps the falsity Of the pull
pits point of view is most clearly
shown by the Rev. Madison G. Pet
ers' applauding as a philantropist
Mr. John ID. Rockefeller, and con-
trasting his employment Of wealth
with that Of the Bradley Martins
vastly to the latter's depreciation.
In 80 years Mr.. Rockefeller has, it
is true, risen from the position Of q
bookkeeper to the eminence of the
richest man in New York. His
charities are said to be enormous
so great, indeed, that, according to
report, he pays q man $4,000 q
year to supervise them for him.
His benefactions to the University
of Chicago are unparalleled. IL he,
therefore, to be landed in the pull
pit as q philsnthropist-s lover of
mankind? Was Robin Hood de-
serving the applause Of the Church
because part Of his spoil went to
the poor?
The millions which this eminent
philantropist disburses-and the
vastly greater sums he KEEPSAKE
the profits, the spoils Of monopoly.
The great Standard Oil Company,
of which he is the head, and for
every act of which he must accept
ct least moral responsibility, has
attained its present impregnable
position by nothing short Of crimi.
nal methods. Against its agents
judicial proof Of conspiracy. brib-
cry, arson, riot, fraud and burglary
has been offered in open court or
before legislative committees. It
has made and unmade United
States Senators, Judges and Legis-
latures, and used them for it's prof.
its. 1t has spread ruin on every
side Of it, and the 80 years. "busi-
ness" campaigns which ends by
making Rockefeller capitalist has
left the men against whom he waged
industrial war ruined. IL the
Church shall not take cognizance
OF these things, who shall !?
1t may we'll be doubted whether
expenditure of ill-gotten money
in philanthropies and educational
endowments is not more insidious-
ly harmful to the social veil beings
than lavish disbursements, in times
of restitution, of honestly obtained
wealth though it be spent only in
destinations and extravagant pleas
ure-seeking.