The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
A Significant Controversy.

The SenSltlVen6SS OF tne religious COLI
science manifested by the widespread
revolt against the. acceptance OF money
given for religious purposes when the
money was improperly obtained, ao-
cording to the moral sense of the re-
ceiver. is one among many indications
of the groundlessness of the assumption
SO generally made that at this time the
moral sense of the community is de-
clining because Of lessened faith in re-
ligious dogmas The raising Of the
question into the prominence which it
now has in the discussions of religious
people. and of unbelieving people, also
is really something new in the history
Of moral agitations.
1t is remarkable, too, that the symp-
toms of revolt should appear most
strikingly among the Baptists, That
denomination ofHChristians is made up
almost wholly 6spoor people or people
in very moderatematerial circumstances.
Like the religious denominations gener-
allv, they are persistent beggars for
money to carryon their religious under
takings, and ia these Mr. ROCK EFEILER
has been and still is the most munificent
giver The richest man in the world, he
is also Baptist peculiarly strong in his
pious adherence to the tenets of that
faith. Upon his liberalty in giving has
depended very largely the most important
of the Baptist enterprises. and the expec-
tation of still greater subsidies of money
from him. the richest Baptist, is strong
and probably justified,
The multiplying evidences of an in
disposition of Baptists to take from him
any of the much sought money needed
for their religious propagation, except he
gives it us "penitent' and as restitution
of gains accumulated in defiance of the
Christian law, appear to be demonstrative
of u spirit of remarkable self-denial in
behalf of religious principle.
How does Mr.. ROaKEFELLER himself
feel about the matter? Is he manifest
ing any fear that he has imperiled his
future state; that his money, the greatest
accumulation in the world, and perhaps
the greatest ever made in the history Of
individual money getting, will prevent
his getting through the needles eyer
No evidence ofany change in his methods
of gathering irt1neney has yet appeared.
Wall Street CONTINUES, to attribute to the
STANDARD Oil combination great activ-
ity in the stock. Inarket. He seems to
be no more contprft with the magnitude
of his accumulatlohs than he was when
they were not. tenth as great. as they
are now, though even then hew among
the richest men in the: world. He has
the reputation Of looking as carefully
after every penny US he does after the
investment of thn consolidated millions
of his yearly ineome, s.: z.
Evidently Mr.. ROCKEFELLER is not
afraid of eternal consequences; but re-
CARDS himself as as much entitled to saliva
ton as the poorest man. as was LAZARUS,
for example. He is not afraid of the
fate of DIVES because he follows modern
methods of money getting, though the
accumulations of DIVES were probably
trining in quantity as compared with
his. The latest report of his movements,
that he was playing golf at his country
place with great gusto, would seem to
imply that his conscience is at rest 1t
does not suggest that as the richest of
men he feels himself a sinner above all
others, who must make restitution of his
money as unholy gains in order to Sc
cure peace for his soul and to Justify
him in entertaining any hopes OF saliva
ton in a future state; yet very widely
in the religious world there prevails the
conviction of the Baptist minister who
admonishcd him, that your duty to
humanity demands that You meet the
charges or declare your sin"
The discussion of the whale Question,
now so active and so general, will do
good, however, for it touches the very
foundation of the Christian theory of
morals. 1t also suggests an awakening
of the religious conscience concerning
the obligations of a trust which is de-
sirable and hopeful. Finally, it proves
that even in time of diminishing faith
= in old time standards of religious au-
thority regard for the moral principles
OF which Christianity should be the ex-