The independent., 1903-04-30
TEMPLE HALL"
Expressions by Nebraska Editors Regard
ing RockefelIer's Proposed Gift with
= String to 1t

aString to 1t
The people of this state cannot ac-
cept the donation offered by Rockefel-
Ter and denounce his methods of ac-
quiring the wealth he is now giving
away. Shut up about trusts and mo-
Eopolies or refuse to accept their
gifts.-C. j. Bowlby, in Crete Demo-
crat.
The acceptance of the Rockefeller
offer would be injurious in more ways
than one. It would cause Nebrashans
to be beholden to the King of Kero-
sene. 1t would tend to scar the public
conscience. 1t would put the people
OF the state in the position of wink
ing at robbery if given share of the
swag. And every honest, right think
ing and sensible man knows that the
Rockefeller wealth has been accumu-
lated by the most gigantic and shame
less system of robbery and jobbery
ever framed up by mortal man. The
road to financial success trod by the
Standard Oil company is strewn with
the wrecks of homes, the ruins of in
dustry and the skeletons of men and
women whose lives were blasted by its
withering touch. Nebraska does not
want it's children educated with that
money to belief that money thus ac-
Quired is honest money, or that the
men who acquire it in the way it was
acquired are men whose lives are
worthy Of emulation.-Waldo Winter
steen, in Fremont Tri-Weekly Leader.
Shall Nebraska be a beneficiary of
stolen goods? This is the question
that confronts the university officials
through John d. Rockefeller's offer
to contribute two-thirds of a hundred
thousand dollars for a hall at that
great school. Let Nebraska proudly
spurn the bribe. Rather let her ig-
more it. This great state can afford
to tax herself for the support of her
educational institutions. She cannot
afford to countenance anarchy and
felony by taking part of the stolen
money, even though it was stolen from
herself. No more rascally, no more
unlawful thing was ever done than
the means used by Rockefeller to per-
feet his organization for robbing the
people at will. His donations, how
ever, are not given as conscience
money, but rather as investments in
the way of keeping the people quie5
while he gets fresh grip. Let Ne
braska then hold herself proudly aloof
from the contamination of his gifts.
Let her keep in readiness for the time
when it will be possible to render
impossible any more colossal thieves.
In that time she may lead all her sis
ter states, but to do so she must &C
cept no bribes-spurr the dirty mon
cyl. W. Tanner, in Central City
Democrat.
QnIte q number are opposed TO ac-
cept}n@ l30akefellers proposed biz
gift TO tua state university, on the
grounds hat he is only Offering to
return what he has stolen from the
state. Why not let John put it back
II. J. Pickett, jr., in Wahoo Wasp
(rep.).
The offer recently made by Stand
ard Oil Monopolist Rockefeller to do
nate $66,666 to the Nebraska state
university does not seem to be mee;-
AlSo Wall o fCAy hCol ~ APPLY oil llOili
the state press. For years and years
Rockefeller has been compelling the
people of Nebrasa, as we'll as every
other state in the union, to pay tr-
butte to him, and now he wants to
erect a monument to his own memory
here in their midst, just as he has been
permitted to do at other places, and
just as Andrew Carnegie is doing all
over the country Nebraska doesn't
need any of Rockefeller's oil profits.
however The state is no pauper, and
if the building which he proposes to
build is really needed let tax be
levied and the people will willingly
pay it. We don't need his money and
he should keep it. But if he really
wants to do something to make the
people feel more kindly toward him,
however he might reduce the price Of
gasoline and kerosene and give us a
little better quality.-W. H. Smith, in
Seward ependent-Democrat
If this donation comes as the price
of R0ckefelleT's control Of the univer-
sity or his having any voice in it's af-