Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-01-09
CHICAGO UNIVERSITIES LATEST DONATION
Where Did He Get 1t?

Topeka Capital
The announcement Just at this time of an
other $I,25o,o 900 to Chicago university from
John D. Rockefeller must tend to disgust the
average American stomach. 1t is understood
ing it is capitalized several times over actual
investment originally, earned the first half OF
this year As per cent dividends. Nevertheless
the price of oil has just been boosted 20 per
cent and to justify it hypocritical dispatch
went out from Pittsburg that the oil magnates
were becoming worried over the increased cost
of getting oil out of the ground.
Dividends at the rate of As per cent for six
months, or 90 per cent year, ale not enough
for phianthropist Rockefeller. He sees other
philanthropic captains of industry" taking ad-
vantage of comparatively good times to squeeze
the prosperity out of the people, and so he
gives the screw a turn himself. Oil goes up
90 per cent at moments notice, millions OF
poor men must go down deeper in their pockets
to pay for oil, and this pharisaical patron of
education, to sweeten the dose, contributes an
other fortune to his pet university.
And the pity of it is that there are thousands
of good and well-meaning people who, so far
from seeing anything utterly wrong in the
whole proceeding, are ready to exclaim over
the wonderful generosity of this pubic-spirited
Christian phianthropist, The distinguished
Bishop Potter of New York, friend of million
aires and of laborers alike, in recent lecture
on "The Citizen and the Capitalist" remarked
that there was several questions ito be addressed
to the capitalist always aud everywhere" of
which the first is
"Where did such wealth as you are in con-
troll OF come from? How was it made? Whom
did the making of it rob or wrong? What
claim have you to the respect of honest men,
or to the companionship of decens people, un-
til you can answer these questions?"
Whom did the Standard Oil trust not rob to
IN axe this fresh 81, $50, 900 for Chicago univer-
sity? There is nobody that was exempt, but
it is the millions of poor who are robbed the
most, because having the least to lose. 1t was
the robbery of competitors for years by law
less railioad rebates that placed the oil monop-
oily in position of such supreme command OF
the market that 1t can Tow rob the people right
and left.
Mr.. Rockefeller, an eminent Christian, ac-
quanted with the "Golden Rule" neverthe-
less quiets his conscience because he sees Others
doing precisely as he does aud public sentiment
not only toerating but even endorsing it. He
can not answer Bishop Potter's first question
but bis second question, "What are you doing
with t?" he answers by throwing some crumbs
to Chicago university and thereby enables the
oil trust to pose as one of the much talked OF
"good' trusts.
What the people learned last summer at the
hands of the anthracite coal trust, the oil trust
is only giving more emphasis to. The great
combines are determined to squeeze all of the
! juices of the present prosperity into their own
mouths, leaving the dry rind to the public
What the millions of producers and consumers
are getting ont of phenonemally good times i:
the great boon of being allowed to work, where
as during hard times great proportion wer'
idle. But the development of trusts and com
bnes has enabled these new giants of industr.
concluded editorial psge