The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-28
BUSINESS AND RELIGION.

Last sunday JOhn ID. KocKe1eller, Jf.,
invited his Sunday school class to dis
cuss the question Of religion and riches.
Mr.. Rockefeller wanted to know if
the class thought a successful BUSH
ness man could be a good Christian.
A member of the class said: THE
man who dabbles in stocks, the man
who dumps a quarter of million of
dollars worth on the market and when
the figures are low enough to suit him
buys again, and in so doing ruins the
small holder, simply because he has
the power of money behind him, can
not be a good Christian. He Injuries
others for his own selfish motives and
that is directly opposed to the teach
ings of Christ. -" m
In his comments on what the class
said Mr.. Rockefeller expressed the
opinion that a man could be a good
Christian and. at the same time,
a successful business man. He said
however, that if he found his bust
ness Interfering with his religious du-
ties or Disturbing his Christian q be-
liefs he should get out of business.
There are many processing Christians
of vast wealth engaged in business en-
terprises who seem to have no difficulty
in satisfying themselves that their
rather questionable business methods
do not interfere with their religious
duties or beliefs, at least there appear
to be such protesting Christians. 1t
is certain that, there. are members of
churches who do things in the course
of business that cannot be defended by
any code of morals known to the
Christian religion, and yet they do
not. seem to think they are doing any
thing wrong. For instance as pointed
| out by the members of Mr.. Rockefel-
| lers Sunday class, the man who
manipulates the stock market so as
! to get the holdings of those who have
small blocks of stock believes he is
doing nothing that is contrary to the
| Christian religion. AS matter of
fact a man makes himself believe pref
ty much as he wants to believe when
he undertakes to adjust his religion
to his business. Young Mr.. Rookie
| feller's business methods may be all
right. We don't know anything about
them, but if half that has appeared in
! the public prints about the senior
| Rockefeller's Standard Oil business
methods is true, the latter must have
found it difficult sometimes to har-
monte his religious beliefs and his
business methods. And yet, it hasn't
been so very long since one of the
most prominent ministers of the city
of Brotherly Love declared in a pub
lie address in this city that Mr.. Rookie
Teller was one of the purest and best
Christians he ever knew. Can it be
true that Mr.. Rockefeller is a misun-
derstood and greatly wronged man?
-s~S-S
The German engineers who have sue
ceeded in driving train propelled by
electricity at the remarkable speed
of 14O miles an hour, themselves ad-
NIT that such high speed is imprac-
ticable in general railroad service. No
system of installation yet invented, ac-
| cording to one of them, could insure
| safety at so high a rate of speed.
| Ninety-three miles an hour, the Ger
mans think, is about the highest speed
consistent with safety, with present
| installations. The tests referred to.
in which the rate of 40 miles was
accomplished, were on a specially pre-
| pared track, vastly superior to any
thing found in. the regular railway
equipment. The problem, then, seems
to be in the improvement of equipment
rather than in the construction of a
motor that can go faster.
-e-e-e
The Postoffice Department is consid-
| ering whether or not ii shall issue a
mourning stamp" Many requests for
such a stamp, it is said, have been re-
| ceived BY the department. While it is
considering this special stamp it might
at the same time take under advise
ment wedding stamp, a christening
stamp. a birthday stamp, a pink tea
stamp. and some others that would
surely be demanded.
The Actors Fund of New York and
the Edwin Forest Home of Philadelphia
have offered the aged and stricken
Nine. Janauschek homes within their
institutions; both Of which offers she
| has declined, since neither makes pro-
vision fo,. her maid whose sar.xi,4es she