The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-10
MINISTER ATTACKS
ROCKEFELLER GIFT
Rev. II. B. Taylor Says Stand.
ard Oil Money Making Meth.
eds Would Disgrace Thuo


That Rockefeller's money stands on a
par with stolen property and that there
fore the prudential committee of the
american mission board would be right
IN refusing -fo-accept gift of $100. 600 Is
the opinion Rev. H B. Taylor pastor of
ST. Paui's~ ~Gntversalist church, Mackubiu
street, near Ashland avenue, expressed
In the sermon prelude, Would You Re
iuse a Gift From the Standard On?' de-
iivered yesterday morning.
'Whether >f-would receive a gift from
the Standard OIL company" said the pas-
Tor, would depend upon two things First
upon the spirit In which it is proffered
nd and second, the purpose for which 1t Is
Il would expect the first to be due to
contrition for methods followed which
would disgrace, thug or highwayman. 1
WOULD expect the purpose for which it Is
pro1ered to be in the nature OF restitution
TO those from whom 1t was filched by
methods that are a disgrace to human ma
ture.
Share Bank Burglars Loot
The controversy between members of
the board or foreign missions inclined to
receive the gift and those who protest
against 1t Is greatly obscured by import
ing into it considerations which have no
rightful connection Herewith. The ques-
tion seems to me to resolve itself into
simply this: Shall a religious body re-
ceive stolen property? If il is clear that
larger part of the money has been Sc
cured by methods different from those of
hlgnwaymen only in coming within the
letter OF the law, then it seems to me that
we ought 10 no more accept such money
than to knowingly share in a banks bur
gar loot. The condemnation of Standard
Oil methods is sufficient not to Justify any
excuse of Il hadn't known
All the talk of declining this gift in
volving us in an investigation of the to
tai moral character of the donor is so
much dust in the eyes The talk about
clean money involving the question. How
can L Know that dollar coming from q
personally upright man is clean, is So much
SOUND and Jury. OF course, as one of
those who protested against receiving the
money pointed out. dollars have no per-
sonalltX when the question is simply one
or dealing with a known wroagdoer II
Is time that the American people under
stand that the methods of Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter are wrong In the sight of heaven. To
have that clearly understood would be
worth many times the S100. 600 prOffered
EVen-if the debate goes no further
some good has been done. AS a matter of
expediency and righteousness the Chris
tian church cannot afford to go with open
evil powers
Knows OIL Methods
The reason feel. so strongly against
the acceptance of the gift" said Rev
Taylor I'm an interview after the sermon
is that l formerly lived in the oil re-
glon. and personally know that the meth
| ods OF the Standard Oil company are de-
hOt coONc IcpTOdCl. Inc 1Qnunan
methods that the company took durine
the oil war to squeeze out the independent
producer certainly did not find favor in
the sight OF heaven The blowing up and
burning out OF oil wells that promised
good and were likely to result i'm serious
competition were not Indicative of much
good In the company's money.
Il know OF case of slavery abject
| though voluntary. that was caused by the
| company's methods. An independent pro
ducer was squeezed so hard. as the term
goes, that he was forced to mortgage all
ms available property in order to keep on
| his feet. The money thus secured was
soon lost. The man then went to another
person and In return for loan offered to
work at a hired mans wages until Il had
| been repaid, should he fail TO have the
| money on hand when his note became due.
Needless to say he never regained his
feet. and was forced to fulfill his contract
As a result he worked a number of years
Tor the man from whom he borrowed the
money. being allowed only So a year for
tobacco and went clad only in a tattered
| suit OF clothes"