The independent., 1903-04-23
"A MATTER OF POLITICS"
Commsnts of the Press en- the Rockefeller
Donation--A Question of Principle

to donate two-thirds of hundred
thousand dollars toward erecting a
religious and social building for the
University of Nebraska, provided the
citizens raise the other third. This
is in line with republican discipline
the leaders have not spoken in de-
cisive tones, and the little fellows are
waiting for the cue.
The State Journal, however, the
other day said in it's more or Less
Personal column:
The Omaha Worid-HeTaid, the
Lincoln Independent and G. j.
Bowlby's Crete Democrat are all
out with frothing denuneiations of
Mr.. Rockefeller's braZen attempt
to buy the state with tWo-thirds
of the price of 100000 building
for the university. Everybody
understands that it is matter of
politics with these papers. The
average citizen assumes that $685.
66666 is a small "bribe" for the
great state of Nebraska, and is not
disposed to make any fuss about
the acceptance of the money. Even
rather squeamish people are salts
fed to leave this whole matter
with the chancellor. If there is a
mn in the country who can be
: trusted to manage an affair OF this
kind without being corrupted by
the money power" it is this same
DR.. E. Benjamin Andrews.
1t is indeed matter of politics"
with these papers. Not a partisan mat
ter to catch the Russian vote for
Slobodiski, or to combine the church
and whisky elements in electing a
mayor, but simply matter OF prin-
ciple.
The Independent has always had,
and has now, the utmost confidence in
the integrity and ability of Chancel-
lor Andrews. 1t has ho fears that he
will ever become corrupted by the
money power" That is not the
point.
Mr.. Rockefeller's proposed two
thirds of gift-or gift with a string
to it," as Lincoln business man re-
marked the other day-is simply one
of a series of steps to induce the peo-
pie to accept as true the plutocrats'
creed
1t is better for society on the
whole that it's surplus wealth fall
into the hands of the few to be
by them disposed of as they see
fit. Given, then, strong sense of
, trusteeship for the public on the
part of the wealthy feW-we have
a better disposition of surplus
riches in. the. present order of
things than would be the case
were surplus wealth more evenly
distributed.
The Rockefeller building would
teach that creed day in and day out.
Insidiously it would inculcate in the
minds Of the people the doctrine that
a man of the Rockefeller type-to
quote w. J. Ghent-"is at once the
loaf-giver to the needy, the regulator
of temporal affairs, the lord protector
of church and society" 1t would
teach the people to accept as a mat
ter of course these millionaire chari-
ties. The danger in this is well ex-
pressed by John A. Hobson, the dis
tinguished English economist who
long ago:
nose eHSdSeu III private cHar-
tiles know the dangers of pro-
miscuous giving. What about
the public? Has it no character
to lose? / challenge anyone to
deny that these methods of get
ting money for public purposes
awake in the receiver a. any rate
that sentiment of patronage which
is the mortal enemy of indepen-
dence in an Individual or in
CITY,"
Says Richard L. Metcalfe in the
World-Herald-
contributions such as Rookie
feller proposes to make to the
Nebraska university are not Of
fered with really good motive.
They do not even rise to the dig
nifty of gifts to the conscience
fund. They are made for the pur-
pose Of creating, in the minds of
unthinking men, the notion that
there is really something great
and noble in men who on the one
hand corrupt the public service,
Sebauch political parties and exact
at the hands of it's official repre-
sentatives undue and unfair priv
ileges under the law, while on