New-York tribune., 1905-04-10
THE ROCKEFELLER GIFT.
DR.. GLADDEN. Emphasizes His Pro-
test against 1t.

In the current issue Of THE Congregationalist
and Christian World the Rev. DR.. Washington
GLADDEN. Moderator of the National congregational
Council renews his protest against the acceptance
of the gift OF Mr.. Rockefeller to the American
Board. He says, in part:
1t is with great pain that I find myself compelled.
in the matter OF the Rockefeller gift. TO diner
fesS that as have read the names of those who
approve Of the acceptance OF TINS GIT IeeIihg OF
come over me How it be that men with whom
1 have always found myself IN closest IelIoWshlp
can see this matter in a hight utterly different
from that in which it appears to me? know that
after the most serioIs thoaght cannot abandon
me clearer than the path Of duty in TINS mater
represent # 'G did not testify that do ind
myself alone No public utterance OF NINE mas ever ever
brought me a 1.-THE of the responses Whlch 5 nave I've
been pouring in upon me oy mail ana teeSraPH I1o %
one in support Of the position / have taken.
know that am speaking for great muitTIe ITo,et 9t
against the action OF the prudential committee And
understand that they are dealing with a force
whose strength they cannot anord to 1espiiseii m
1t should be needful to say that this is IN NO NO
official utteranse. 1 could not give ~ any
weight by such claim if would ana WoIir fo toT
If could speak not because am the Moo faC{
of the National Council. but in spite OF th3t LJGs.
which cannot. in this emergency, ignore.
do not despair Of coming to supstan5iisei agIee %
Of judgment, hope that the congregational people
may YET be ape 10 3FiVg 4hi o ar tbef am Speaking
This entire question of the responsibility OF the
receivers of gifts appears TO need some discussIo'
There those who seem to say tnat an Inomey; my
no matter how wickedy obtained not ON oIS Of me Tc
but must he accepted when oneIeu IA aiI hat ~
ligion charity. It would SEEM then ,, tIiac -;
down and robbed IN the street ama III H. ~ If
brings me part Of the money must take axe IT. ,bar A.
money and have right to refuse it, 4 good good
been reduced to this scale Of morals -. .,,,
Others would hardly go so far as this ont sun sun
insist that if the crime has been pretty wen con- con-
cealed its fruit NAV be shared by the Church and
The prudential committee justihes its accept
ance or Mr.. Rockefellers gift by the stare staIelneHt @
tom Of the Church in receiving upon its altars the
gifts Of all who were moved TO lay them thereon,
~ re n,ade their peace with the Churches
and the nonasteres by sharing their punder with
them, but it has been generally taught. IN recent
rests Of course, upon the principle that the end
justifes the means This whole plea for the un-
%hom saes to- e 10 involve that prncp But
old Chrysostom taught that tne gl5Ls TI & b5,rtb m
when they were known to be such; and the purer
And the common maxim that the partaNer is as pad
the thief condenses the moral RUE on NHlcH H
civilization do not think that our churcnes;
our colleges or our missionary socleues can aHolu
some of those who favor the acceptance of this
gift argue that we cannot go behind the action or
been Gn2stly acquired If the verdict OF the
is to govern our judgment in such cases, might II
not be well to wait and see whether the courts JUS
tify Standard Oil methods? If we approve the ac-
President
those who accused of great public wrongs
would il be well decline to receive presents
from the who trial? That certainly
a great missionary society might wisely withhold,
But all this talk about legal immunity as an
adequate screen for evildOers is hardly worthy OF
religious teachers.
THE Prince of Monte Carlo" says one of my
correspondents has never been convicted Of crime,
and is said to be cultivated. benevolent gentle
Would they accept 100000 from him for for
eign missions? Or from the Louisiana Lottery in
the days Of its prime. when it feeced its victims
under the sanction of the State?''
But even this comes short of the true statement
the representative is far deadly than anything
of which gamblers OF brothel keepers can be
cused.
1t is an organized. persistent and tremendously
successful attempt TO overthrow tie industrial lib
erty of the American people Those who do not
know that this issue is squarely before must be
ptied for their blindness. Those who cannot see
that IL is the most serious issue that this nation has
ever faced have not thought deeply on the matter.
The question is now trial. The courts of the
United States dealing with it. but above and
people II is their verdict that Will be decisive and
final. What will this court Of last resort have to
say about the methods by which John D. Rookie
faer. within quarter of century. has built up a
fortune Of perhaps 81 O00O000 900? I think that he
good deal for the decision of this court
than for the decisions of the lower tribunals.
The case is now before this highest The
people are the judges and Jurors. We. the Congre-
gatOnal people, are judges and jurors. The officers
and members Of this missionary society judges
and jurors