The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-04-03

ception be made. If the acceptance of
this gift, the manner in which it has
been offered, or any conditions upon
which it has been received, directly or
indirectly would compromise the board
in any commercial unrighteOusness, or
render it a party in any exploitation Of
the people, then the remonstrants would
be clearly in the right. If by the ac-
ceptance Of it, any teacher in the edu-
cational institutions benefited by it
should be hindered In telling the heath
en- that the notorious methods of the
Standard Oil company are not to be ac-
cepted by them as the choice fruit of
American Christian civilization, then
the gift should be spurned as a bride.
No educational institution can accept
money from any man on conditions
which would interfere with the liberty
of academic teachings. If the action of
the prudential committee or anything
in their statement of their position in
this matter should prevent the Ameri-
can board from denouncing as anti
Christian any wrong methods in BUSH
ness In this country, or from warning
the heather against any of our COM
mercial betrayals of the Christ, then
the board should return the money
But no such compromise has been
made. and no wrong in the act of CIV
ing has been alleged. They have not
examined or endorsed any of MI.
Rockefellers methods of money max.
ing. But they have taken his money?
Yes, because they have no moral right
not to take it. Yet l cannot stop there.
1 must hold further that their accept
ance of it brings with it for our
churches an added responsibility. II
We cannot refuse gift, We also come
under greater obligations to see to it
that we have no part or compiaisance
in any wrong-doing of the man who
brings it. If h comes to me privately
with it, by my resolving it l am the
more honorably bound to tell him to his
face just how and why ! receive it..
Ought not our board to do the same
A public donation like this challenges
our churches anew to Judge true judg-
ment whenever any unrighteous indus-
trial methods shall be plainly exposed
for Judgment. If it be weakly said,
You cannot at the same time accept
the giving which is right and judge a
money-making which may be wrong,
remember that our Master once accept
ed the hospitality of a certain Pharisee,
and convicted him of sin while He sat
at his, table. That is not mean; it
was Christlike. This is precisely one
OF the difficult tasks for the church
to say boldly even at the tables of its
friends, Yet and if judge my judy
ment is true, for the father of all the
/ people beareth me witness.
! sympathize, then profoundly with
the ethical feeling of such men inshigh
esteem among us. as Dr. Washington
GLADDEN. and President Tucker, who ex-
press their sense of hurt in the accept
ance of this donation by our mission
board. Their moral feeling strikes in
to the right path; but their reasoning
seems to me to plunge into the thicket
1t does not necessarily follow that
money which may have been wrongly
made cannot be rightly used. 1t does not
follow that the obligation of the church
to condemn any socially unrighteous
acquisition of a fortune should also
require the church to render impossible
socially righteous use of it. 1T does
follow logically and officially that the
church which commends the good that
is intended, should also condemn the
wrong that may have been done. II
should do both in the same act and
with the same breath. To this more
difficult and higher task our mission
board, our churches, and all honorable
business men should devote their mora
energies
I do not know the facts about this
business, as / know, for instance the
facts about the political corruption
with which our countryside is reeking
with regard to which in any presence
I can say, Il know of what i affirm, be.
cause could put upon the witness
stand men who could testifyof attempt
/ ed bribery were there any court of in.
quiry to summons them. speak Of this
corporation only from common reputa.
ton.
If it's vice president even at this
eleventh hour can produce a valid lega
certificate of its good moral character
and if on the platform of the Ameri.
can board at its next annual meeting
he could convince fair-minded laymer
as well as clergymen that this trust
has been popularity maiigned, and thai
it might rather apply for cannoniza'
ton as a patron saint of industry, ther
he will certainly confer upon the Amer
lean board and the whole country g
greater benefit than this donation o.
a hundred thousand dollars DIR. Wash
ington GLADDEN. and President Tucker
and those other clergymen who say
queer things, might justly challenge
him so to do; and all the rest Of III
might agree to make them forever aftel