The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-29
PROTESTS AGAINST
TAINTED MONEY!
DIR. GLADDEN. Further Opposes
Acceptance of Rookie
teller Gift

COLUMBUS, O., March 2S.-Dr.
washington GLADDEN.. moderator of the
congregational church, fled a written
protest today with the prudential COM
mlttee of American foreign missions,
now In session at Boston. against the
committee accepting the gift of $780,
OOO from John d. Rockefeller.
This committee" he said today, lis
merely supplementary committee
anyway. and ought not to take upon
itself the responsibility of accepting
thlS gift in view of the widespread
Ieenng all over the country among re-
hglous people. I shall continue to pro-
test until the conference of the Con-
Sfegatlonal church in September, when
some action Will be taken. The churches
should adopt some form of referendum
IN SUCH matters so that the people of
the church can express their feeling
ana desires in such cases. All should
protest against the acceptance of the
gift
DR.. Gladden's protest says:
L must ask the privilege of expressing
as explicitly as l can my surprise and
regret that the officers of the American
board have accepted large sum of money
from John ID. Rockefeller | object tO
this because the money thus hestowed docs
not rlghtfully belong to the man who
gives II; II has been flagitiousy acquired
and all the world knows it, it may he
difficult in many cases to Judge OF the
methods by which wealth has been gained
But when the investigation has been
thoroughly made and the case is clear. We
are bound to guide our conduct by the
facts made known. In this case the in
NeSugatlon has been thoroughly made
and the facts are we'll known. The leeis-
lative inquiries. the records of the courts
nave given the reading public of this
country the material for Judgment uDOn
the methods of Standard Oil and there
never was day when its methods We're
clearer than they are now
Shut Doors of Opportunity
They know that this great power has
Reen bulIt up by injustice and oppression;
they know that its immense gains IN We
been made by forcibly despoiline citizens
OF their honest gains and shutting the
doors or opportunity upon them it has
; Geen done very largely through Illicit and
UBIQUITOUS control OF railways. Standard
on has never ceased to use this power
In this way. 1t is using it TODAY as eff
IectlVely as II ever did. The Standard
now controls about twO-thirdS of the all
roads or this country This stuDendous
power. which owes its existence To
shameful prostitution of agencies created
by public law for the public service is
now able to lay its paralyzing arm upon
an the industries of the nation and to
force them to contribute to its enormous
And this is the money which is offered
10 the American board! We have no right
10 take IT. 1t does not belong to the man
VINO Sn offered il. 1t belongs to the people
from whom 1t has been eXtorted 1t is
Otten advanced, l fear, that we do not
heeu 10 be very ScrupulOuS about money
Mhlch We can need in doing good"
That indifference is deadly. The good
mat IS done by lowering our ethical stand
ards might well be left undone Shall
the young men and women of the mission
hn
R0cketeiier as a great benefactor? The
colleges might better be permanently
closed
Keep Action Secret
BOSTON, March 2S.-Positive action
was taken on the question of accept
ing John d. RockefeIler's gift of $780,
900 to the American board of commits
sioners for foreign missions at a
meeting today of the prudential COM
mittee of that organization, but the ma
ture of the action was not disclosed.
The committee announced officially.
however, that q statement citing the
decision of the committee would be
given out tomorrow, after the report
was adopted. which is in the form of
resolutions, had been officially commu-
nicated to a committee appointed by
the Congregational Clergymen Of Bos-
ton and vicinity to protest the ac-
ceptance of the Rockefeller gift.
DR.. James L. Barton, foreign secre-
tary of the American board, said that
already $41,500 of the gift was in the
treasury and had been appOrtioned to
various missions, and the question to
be decided was. therefore, whether this
amount should be returDed or whether
it should be retained and the balance
accepted.
The American board has received
communication from Rev. A. Bradford,
d. d. of Montclair, N. j., former mod
orator of the national Congregational
council and president of the American
Missionary association, favoring the ac-
ceptance of Mr.. Rockefeller's gift. DR.
Bradford says Mr.. Rockefeller made the
gift in answer to an appeal from the
board.