The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-27
LET THEM DO GOOD.

Travelling through the South is a party of eighty
wel-known philanthropists and educators. who are
Investigating the needs of the poor white children
They have ut their disposal for educational purposes
$~1.o00000. donated by John ID. Rockefeller. 1t is
intimatcd that S%S.o0o,0oo additional will be forthcom
Ing if the Investigators find a proper manner Of ex
%penditurc.
According TO those in charge of the plan it is hoped
that not only will the condition of the poor whites be
bcttercd. but that the spread Of literacy will lessen
the evil of race prejudice.
If this object can be obtained by the expenditure
of the money. incalculable good will be accomplished.
Granted that this donation comes from profits of the
Standard Oil Company, one of the strongest monopo-
lies of the world. the benefits to be derived from the
programme as outlined by the projectors of the edu-
cational scheme will not be decreased.
Yet if the position which former Governor Stone
has taken regarding a suggested gift to the Missouri
State University from Andrew Carnegie is followed
to its logical conclusion the coed people of the South
should resent this generous gift of Rockefeller. He
should be told to keep his money, for fear that the il
literate whites will be made the innocent victims of
the Standard Oil Company and associated corpora
tons.
1t is safe to say that nothing of the sort will occur.
If Mr.. Rockefeller has been persuaded to distribute
a part of his great fortune where he thinks lasting
good may be accomplished he deserves praise. 1t is
nfiu ~ btlefe tudl III tHlS III IL u HoNeu ny
a selfish wish to bend the minds of the youthful poor
in the South to 4 subservent obedience of monopoly.
Is it not far better to give him credit for wishing to
do good with his money? His commercial methods
do not enter into the expenditure of this beneficence.
Whether he has charged more for oil than is consist
ent with free competition is totally foreign to the dis
position of the profits.
Perhaps Governor Stone would insist that Rookie
Teller and Carnegie should heard their money or con-
tinue in their commercial enterprises until the fortunes
mount higher and higher. The fact remains that they
have accumulated millions in the industrial field. The
legality of their present possession is not questioned
in any court of the land. Prevention of similar &C.
cumulations in the future is another problem.
What a hard alternative would the Ex-Governor i'm
pose. Rather than permit them the privilege of re-
turning to the public a portion Of that which. they
have accumulated he would compel them to refrain
from philanthropy or charity of any kind.
What would be tie result if the wealthy were to
adopt this alternative? Where would be some of the
boosted institutions of learning, the great hospitals. |
the fine libraries and the magnificent churches?
If the Ex-Governor is consistent his theory should
be retroactive. Chicago, Yale. Harvard and Prince
ton universities and the polytechnic schools of Boston, |
Pittsburg and Chicago should be returned as physical
properties to the comparatively few donors. The sick
in the thoroughly equipped private hospitals endowed
by these men should be removed from the baneful in
fuence of distributed wealth which, p%erchance, has
been gathered by means not approved by the recip-
lent. municipalities should spurn library endow-
ments. Some OF the churches should remove into less
quarters because of the generosity Of the
who contributed the greater share of the expense
under the mistaken impression that the Lord could
use their money to advantage.
No sensible man believes in such an overturning
of good. If Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan or any
other rich man wishes to make this world better by
his charities, the world is not less the better for ac-
the gifts. The manner of the donors acquisi-
of the money may become an issue Of legislation.
The recipients of his generosity still testify to the good
has been accomplished. Take away the ac-
crued benefits from the bounty of wealthy donors and
this would be a poor world in some of the most i'm
portant and beneficent of its institutions.