Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-10
"BAPT,sTs WORSE SINNERS"
Johnson Talks On Roc<efellcr's la.es.
Gift.

roetcn. April 9.-"If I were the Mis-.
sionarl Union, or controlled its action:;.
7 would not take a dollar Of Mr. Rookie
feli,rs money uni, - he offered Il us
conscience money" said the Rev. Hrrbcr,
s. Johnson. pastor Of thc iN;,rrr'. Avt.n.h.
BAPTIST church, whcl informed, Saturday
afternoon, Of another Rockefeller gift of
500 900 to the Amei lean Baptist Mission
airy Union.
1--WE BaptiStS II we been III" worst sin.
Hers ct the LOT in this respect. We have.
t.lhei millions OF Ills money, but We
have hurt ourselves in the taking of it,
From Il business point Of view W" cannr,
afford to continu. on H.. lines. 1t is
dr.vi.% rcopI" away fr".n IN" churches.
My OBJECTION. j. rot to Mi. Eockcfell"r
alone. 1t applies likewise to Mr.. j. Pier
ronl Morgan. .ir. Carnegie. Mr.. irwson
or any OF those men. Their money is not
what | micht III honest money. If 1t lie
argued that they have violated no statute
law in amassing il. it is nevertheless
true that they have violated the spirit
ual ilw-thc law of love
Mr. Rockefe!lc" had Il chance to mar
ifcst his belief in this Inv during the
coal strike. Going about among tho poo.
I s;w them crouched over tiny oil stoves.
trying to keep from freezing. There was
II chance for Mr.. Rockefeller to do Il
really grand thing for Christianity. If
he could not have given oil away, or
lowe red the price of it, or if his influence.
could not have prevented the 2 cents per
gallon increase in the price, he at least
could have given back to the poor his
share of the profits wrunG from them by
this increase. That act. triflne as it
would have been to him, would hav"
made thousands say: There is something
in religion. after ALL But no, he did
nothing of the sort.
Grant that. as Mr. Dodd. its counsel.
says the Standard Oil Co. has done moth
ing illegally since the establishment of
the interstate commerce commission. the
fact remains that the foundation Of Mr..
Rockcfellcr's fortune was laid in the
days prior to this commission. AS this
foundation was just as disreputable. to
my mind, if he had been highway
man armed with a club to waylay limo
cert travellers and rob them.
II am no Socialist but / believe q man
like Mr.. Rockefeller is one of the great
est foes to our republic. / do not think
his money is honest money, and would
no more take it gift than l would
take the money of Il gambler or that of
prostitute. except, as ] said at the out
set. it were offered as conscience money.
II am proud of the Baptist denumina-
| ton. ] am proud of the fact that it is
| one of the great rcpresentativ dcnomina-
tions of the common people. [ love il
| for what it has done. and / hope and eX-
| rect to live and die in it. But the time
| hes come, it seems TO me. when it mus:
assert itself-when it must distinguish
| between clean and unclean gifts. If il
does not, it cannot hope TO retain the
confidence of the people.
Il have been accused of scnsationaliSm
| in speaking of this matter. but if | were
| 4 sensationalist I should hate the demon
ination, instead of loving it. as l do. But
! this acceptance of Mr.. RockcfellerS mon
| cy has had the effect OF closing or lips
| to the truth We are unde! a sense OF
obligation which prevents plain speaking.
| Put l know there are many who think
and feel as I do on this subject. I could
name dozen ministers within the con
| fines of Greater Boston who think just
as do. They have written to me on the
matter. but some of them confess they
dare not publicly express themselves. Blu:
the lcaven is working.
II regard the possession of such great
wealth as Rockefeller and II few more
such men have rs a menace to this re
public of ours. | object to the methods
| by which it was obtained. | protest
against sanctiOning. in the slightest de-
gree. these methods. And if the accept
ance of the gift may not be said to sane
ton anything, believe its refusal would
| he justified by the rebuke it would adj
minister.
THE acceptance of such money for
moral or spiritual purposes produces in
the minds of thousands of people. partic-
ularly working people, feeling that tn.
| churches are opposed to them. and sub
siIizcd in opposition by Mr.. Rockefeller
and such men. and this feeling is working
| II great injury to religion and Christian
| ity. The business of religion. il | may
| so term it. would be ineXpressibly benefit
cd by the refusal of all such gifts as Mr..
I<ockcfeler's. The skeptical would turn
| to the churches because of this evidence
of sincerity, and for the thousands of
dollars that might be lost by refusing
such gifts I venture to say that tens OF
| thousands would be contributed by the
ordinary Churchgoers. in whom, today,
the missionary spirit is dry.
| Il believe the protestants among the
| Coneregatioralists have done a great re-
| licious and political servicc-religious by
showing that the church cannot be sub
sidbed. and political by calling attention
| to economic evils which. unless corrected.
are bound to wreck our countrv-and
think we BaDtiets should echo that pro-
| test with all our might"
| A HORRIBLE DEATH