The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-18
RocKEFELLER,s WEALTH.

L There is scarcely any subject that &C.
cupies the minds of people of all
classes more than Rockefeller's wealth.
newspapers. at the clubs. at the fire.
side and from the pulpit. Senator Hoar
is afraid that either Rockefeller. or
! Rockefeller's son or grandson VIII be-
come so rich that he VIII own, practi-
cally, the entire country. Certain min
listers and the members OF the Sunday
school class of Rockefeller's son are
wondering whether Rockefeller will
succeed in getting to heaven, and Prof
Bascom, of Williams College, is ques-
| tioning the propriety of the University
of Chicago accepting the millions Of
money which Rockefeller persists in
giving it.
In a recent lecture to his class Prof.
Bascom said that at Williams College
an effort was made to teach young men
how the great fortunes of to-day were
accumulated. Such a subject, in his
opinion, could not be discussed at the
University of Chicago. for the reason
! lileAL tiAdA lLSAlAullolA " DO SuNNaAAAtA ny
the gifts of Rockefeller, whose wealth,
according to this professor, was gained
| by methods not creditable to an honest
man, a 1aw-respecting and a GOd-fear-
ing man. Prof. Bascom says that
President Harper. of the University of
Chicago, having accepted the gifts of
Rockefeller. is estopped from comment
ing upon the methods by which he OBJ
| tanned his wealth. and that If Presi-
dent Harper cannot speak of them then
no professor of the university is free
to do so.
1t seems to be the idea of Prof.
Bascom that the University of Chicago
should not accept money from Rookie
| Teller. and that the institution cannot
| have permanent prosperity because it
does accent it. 1t does not seem to
occur to Prof. Bascom that perhaps
President Harper and all of the profess
sors of the University feel as free to
teach how great fortunes of to-day are
accumulated as he is TO teach that sub
ject at Williams College. They may
not think, as he does, that Rockeferler's
wealth was accumulated by methods
that are regarded as disreputable by
honest and God-fearing men. If Pres
| ident Harper were asked about the
matter, it is probable that he would
say that he has no doubt that Rookie
Teller is an honest man, and has been
throughout his entire life, and in say
ing that he would feel, probably, that
he was speaking the truth. Last week
lecture was delivered in this city by
one of the most noted Baptist preach
ers in the country. In the course of
his remarks he referred to Rockefeller,
though he did not mention his name,
as one of the purest and best of men,
but who had been maligned by those
who envied him his wealth and his
success until by many he was looked
upon as a monster of iniquity.
But whether Rockefeller gained his
wealth by honest or dishonest methods
there is no particular reason why it
| should not be used for good purposes.
If only money known to have been OBJ
tanned by absolutely clean methods
were accepted for educational and
charitable purposes, educational insti-
tutions would have hard time of It.
and great charities would be few and
far between. because there are COM
paratively few rich men against whose
methods of accommodating wealth some
body has not something to say. 1t may
be that Williams College has received
gifts from men who were thought by
their critics to be no more honest than
Rockefeller is thought by some to be.
but who were not criticised as severe
ly as Rockefeller has been and is. ow-
ing to the fact that the fierce light of
publicity was not thrown on their af-
fairs as it is thrown on the business
life and transactions of. Rockefeller.
We do not know what would be the
course of Williams College if Rookie
Teller were to offer it s1,OOO.OO0. but we
venture the opinion that if Prof. Bas-
com were to object to accepting it he
would be overruled. And $1,000 900
would be a wonderful help to that COL
lege even if it were the gift of Rookie
Teller.