The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-30
Rockefeller and Rogers Most
C0VslOuS Men in History
SPURN THEIR MONEY, SAYS HE
To Accept It Would Disgrace the Chris
tlan church-Roosevelt Character
lied as a Man of God to
Lead the People.

The Rev. DR.. J. w stagg, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church, in a statement
made yesterday, denounced the men and
methods that control the operations of the
Standard OIL company protested against
the acceptance of the Rockefeller gift of
$780, 900 to be used for Christian missionary
purposes and heartily commended the
course pursued by President Roosevelt
in resisting the EVIL influence of man,
mon worship In the nation.
Standard OILS Money.
articles that l have recently read"
| said DIR. Stagg, convince me that John
D. Rockefeller and Henry H. Rogers of
the Standard Oil company are the most
covetous men known in the history of
the human race.
ITO accept their money in order to
carry forward the missionary work of the
Christian church would be to degrade
and to disgrace Christendom in the eyes
| of the world.
1.-THE protest sounded by various clergy
men against accepting the Rockefeller
gift of 100000 is the first bell tone heard
In the Christian church in the last thirty
five years.
"saIvation of Christian Church."
ut means the salvation of the Christian
church.
ut means an awakening of the moral
sense of the nation that will root out
the evil influences that have for thirty
five years menaeed American civilization.
.erhe man responsible for this awaken
ing-the leader In this reform movement
is Theodore Roosevelt.
washington is popularity regarded as
the first American That title of honor
belongs, in realty to President Roose-
lelt.
Roosevelt and Lincoln.
abraham Lincoln emancipated 100000
| negro slaves. Theodore Roosevelt has
freed 100000 Americans from social, in
dustrial and moral bondage.
'Frenzied Finance is on the run. Miss
Tarbell and Thomas w. Lawson-the lat
ter, by the way, was in my judgment,
equally guilty in some respects, as Rock
| efeller or Rogers-have written articles
that have appealed convincingy to the
conscience and intellect of the Ameri-
can people.
Standard oils Attitude.
1.-The attitude of Standard oil toward
those articles provides convincing proof
of their truthfuness and weight. stand
ard oil first adopted a policy of silence
ccntemptuous silence. Miss Tarbell and
| Lawson were not worthy of notice.
1.-The fight became hottie truth
became so startling and so convincing
that even the Standard oils scared con-
science could not withstand the fire. Law
son and Miss Tarbell must be answered.
Forthwith, Standard oil pressed the
button, and out came its hirelings, with
lying explanations on their lips.
Verdict Is Made Up.
"They have come too late. The YER
dict is made up. Standard oil stands con-
vlcted before the bar of Christian civil
ization of crimes more atrocious than
have ever before been known in financial
history
"All of us may not admire the manner
in which a Carnegie amasses his wealth.
| But there is this much to be said of a
Carnegie-he uses the hammer and the
anvil in making his fortune.
Rockefeller and Rogers have made
their money through sheer robbery-by
| wholesale nnanclal Drlgandage.
Peril of Covetousness.
Beware of coveteousness said Paul.
the great apostle. which is idootry.'
| Throughout the last thirty-five years the
| American people have ignored this warn
ing. They have been essentially idolaters
Mammon- worship has cursed the nation.
In the face of known abuses, the people
| have been apathetic. the press In many
| cases. subsidized. the pulpit timorous or
| antagonistic to all reform, where money
was in control, excepting only the liquor
traffic reform.
Money has caused the church to utter
an uncertain sound on the great vital
| question of divorce, which, in the Bible,
| is writ so plain, that he who runs may
read. The mistake was in thinking that
the church of God was dependent upon
accumulated millions.
Sin and Righteousness.
| when Theodore Roosevelt became
| President this nation had reached and
was about to cross the line marked out in
the Bible, namely, that righteousness ex-
| alteth nation but sin is a reproach to
| any people. 1t was stepping over on the
| side of the sin of covetousnes5.
Every clergyman with a head on his