The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-02-26
DAILY NEws-DEMoCRAT.
Is There Taint On The Money!

Is there taint In Rockefeller dol
lar? Is an individual disgraced when
he accepts charity at the hands of the
oil magnate? Is a State to hang its
head in shame while accepting a gift
from him In aid of q State Institution?
These questions are asked by an
exchange, in the consideration Of some
OF the donations offered by Mr.. Rookie
feller to public institutions.
For example the Rockefeller dollar
is a live issue in the state OF Nebraska
at the present time. That State is torn
with strife over a proposition made by
John d. Rockefeller TO give two-thirds
Of the money necessary to build house
Of worship on the grounds of the Uni
versity. The President Of the Univer-
sity, +. Benjamin Andrews, OF free
silver fame, had approached the great
capitalist and begged him to help. In
fact, he strongly urged the moneyed
man to contribute from his limitless
supply of funds MIR Rockefeller finally
consented, and according to his habit,
bargained that the beneficiaries should
do something on, their own account. He
would give $66,666, two-thirds. if the
University and its friends raised one
third, $33, 1893.
Mark Twain describes this form of
benevolence to be precisely the same
thing as tying a can TO a dogs tail.
The rattle and the fun at once began
throughout the State of Nebraska,
where they are rot quite as used to
Rockefeller dollars as we of this Sec
tion. populist preachers began to in
weigh, and Populist newspapers to de-
rouuce. They raised question as to
whether OF not Rockefeller dollars had
any barring taint about them when it
came to making an application of them
TO charity or the public welfare, and the
question is of interest beyond the ter
ritory of the present discussion.
Mr.. Rockefeller, it was claimed. had
acquired his millions by a process of
Illicit plunder; he had trampled upon
his weaker competitors in the oil bus
mess: he had debauched trusted en-
ployes of these concerns; he had pros
tituted the integrity of railroads, and
with blind unscrupulousness, fraud
here and unblushing force there had
destroyed all competition and reigned
supreme His money, they said, did
not keep him from being consummate
scoundrel, and the State should not
consent to blacken and degrade its
fame by taking a dollar of his ill-got-
ten gains.
President Andrews is making a
fight against this sentiment, and it is
10 be hoped he will succeed. 1t is to
be hoped that he will raise his one
third, and safely land the 66,666 Rock
efeller dollars. tairt and all.
We do not in the least admire the
methods by which Rockefeller has
made his millions. We admire but lit
tie more the methods by which An
Grew Carnegie accumulated his. But
II these gentlemen choose after hav-
ing under bad forms of law, put mil
lions into their pockets to redis-
tribute any portion of their wealth in
building schools, libraries and churches,
II seems to us we should all be happy
20 recover what is, in sense, our
own. We fail to see that a person read
ing book In a public library, need
keep constantly in mind that steel
rails, once sold behind our tariff wall
at ST2 per ton, and that without the
shelter OF such tariff the Scotchman
might still be in business in Pittsburg,
earning a moderate but wholly honest
living. The books can be read and en-
jcyod, unmindful of how Mr.. Carnegie
made his fortune. And so with the oil
money.
The listeners in the church founded,
or contributed to by Mr. Rockefeller
can get good, sound religious instruc-
ton. and will be just as much exalted
by the sermons as they are ordinarily
In our judgment there is no taint on
the dollars of the millionaire
which should prevent their going back
10 the use and benefit of the public.
The Dick Caucus.
4aIa % ID, III