The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-04-08
CHURCH WILL REJECT
STANDARD OIL MONEY
Itself Largely Responsible For
Conditions That Make
Rockefeller's Rich.
Had It Taken Christian Posi-.
tion From Start Monopo-
ly Would Not Exist.

Vine street Congregational church the
pastor, Herbert B. Bigelow, discussed
the attitude of the church toward Stand
ard Oil money. He said in part:
1T is a significant sign of the times
that a man so sober and even so con-
servative in his thought and utterance
as DR.. Washington GLADDEN. should be
cutspoken in his objection to Standard
Oil money. He asserts that this money
Is the product of the most relentless
rapacity known to modern commercial
history, and that the church which ac-
cepts it invites the contempt of millions
Of honest men,
"A few years ago l attended meet
ing Of clergymen where DR.. Henry D.
Lloyd's book, Wealth versus Common
wealth. was reviewed and discussed.
The ministers, one and all, expressed
complete sympathy with Mr.. Lloyd
indictment Of the Standard Oil COM
pany. But they were almost as unani-
nous in the opinion that a preacher
ought not to jeopardize the peace of
his congregation by treating such SUBJ
jects in the pulpit.
Now consider the memorial of the
New England preachers in objecting to
taking this money on the ground that
the methods of the Standard OIL COM
pany are morally iniquitous and So
Stally Destructive and in refusing to be
put in a relation implying honor to the
donor
Not An Individual Problem.
while this is gratifying as evidence
Of the increasing interest that good
people are taking in social problems,
it leaves much to be desired. This is
not wholly an individual problem, and
we do not reach the root of the matter
by pointing finger of scorn at partic-
ular individuals. Primarily it Is q
question Of wise or unwise social ar
rangements. The remedy is to be found
in social readjustments, not in personal
denunciation
All know that the inordinate power
Of the Standard OIL company has been
built up, very largely, by discrimina-
tion in railroad rates. 1t is not enough
that the church should denounce as bad
the men who have profited by such
discrimination. It is more important to
steach people the need Of -ta lkina ssetlaas
senger and freight rates may be as i'm
partial as the price Of postage stamps.
Who Is to BIame7
Mr.. Rockefeller is not more Of
knave than the other fellows have been
FOOLS If the rest Of us had given more
thought to public questions we would
have owned our own railroads, and he
could not then have done all of this
wickedness. Would it not be more
Christian of us to repent of our neglect
than to declare from the house-tops
our scorn of him?
Rockefeller Result.
To denounce this one man is to mis-
direct the thought Of the people. At
cial arrangements which furnish so
many opportunities for injustice and
rapacity.
Surely the people who have done
and are doing nothing to correct
these conditions cannot escape their
share Of the guilt. Their indictment
does not carry the weight it should.
because they do not come into court
within clean hands. Others have been
guilty of sins of commission. We have
sinned grieviously by our political pre-
judices and our mental sloth and ne
glect of civic duties.
If the good people of this country
| had had the intelligence and public
spirit which citizen of the great re-
public ought to have. Rockefeller
would be an tnpossibility. Therefore,
repentance is more in order than Gen.
sure.
The church that faces these social
problems intelligently and courageous
ly will not need to reject Standard Oil