River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-08-10
Reforming the Reformers.
From the Dunn County News.

1
John D. Rockefeller, by theTreligi-
Gus observances of a lifetime and by
his avowed belief in the dogmas Of
the trinity, sanctiication by grace,
particular redemption, baptism and
salvation only through Christ, be-
came, it would seem, entitled to be
called Christian. By his lavish.
though perhaps misplaced, benefac-
tons to churches. theological schools
and missionary societies he probably
thought himself to be entrenched in
the hearts of those who profess to be-
lieve that religious life is primarily
one of faith and of religious observ-
ances.
The time was when for one to
have called Mr.. Rockefeller hypo-
critic would have been to place ones
self under the ban of the infidel,
atheist, Anti Christ, and to be
pointed out in the community as a
person to be Stunned as puller
down of all Christian faith.
1t is now said far and broad that
Mr.. Rockefeller's business life does
not tally up with his religious pro-
fessions. Do you not find such in
every community? Have not the
so-called infidels and atheists for
years pointed out this fact, only to
be told that they are trying to break
down all faith in God and Christian
ity?
Who now are the callers in the
wilderness? Stock gamblers Claw
son. ambitious hackwriters TAR
belly clergymen with fads (Gladden,)
demagogues staging on Chautauqua
platforms La Follette.)
Leaving it to each, by himself to
say why he should say Mr.. Rock
efeller is hypocrite, let us see why
as community we should pay SO
much attention to these supposed
callers, but really howlers, in the
land.
Lawson tells us that Rockefeller
is highwayman and in the telling
shows that his highway has been
Wall street and his victims gam
blers rather than investors in stocks.
To capture him he says to US, sell
all your stock, make Rockefeller
take them. Then he tells you not
to put the money in any bank for
Rockefeller will surely get it. What
shall we do? Why, of course, like
innocent chumps, put it in Lawson's
hands.
Miss Tarbell with ambition and a
personal grievance seeks to demon
strate that Rockefeller has made
his millions out of the consumers of
oil products, and Washington Glad
den in some way conceives that to
appropriate money taken by high
handed finance from stock gamblers
or dickered out of customers of kerr
osene and by products Of petroleum,
while it may do the heather good,
does us who may thereby stand off
the missionary collection box, meal
culable harm.
Governor LaF gillette, with drama
tic gesture, announces to Baptist
Chautauqua assembly that Rookie
Teller els the greatest criminal of the
age" and we and that assembly like
the greatest fools of any age ap-
plaud the announcement.
We as taxpayers are paying this
man salary as governor and another
salary as United States senator and
yet ride miles on railroads owned
by Rockefeller, paying thereon, we
are told, exorbitant rates, to hear
this double-salaried anti-corruptionist
and pay to him still other tribute
money as platform salary.
Three salaries we pay to man
whom we delight to hear arraign
corruption, graft and kindred evils.
Verify we are set Of fools. We
gamble in stocks, are victinlized, and
then pay fifteen cents per number
to learn how it was done. We pay
for the circulation of a partisan
magazine during state campaign
for the privilege of reading praises
of Rockefeller's denunciators. We
are willing to pay our hard cash to
the heather and let Rockefeller
keep his in his strong tainted box
We elect man governor to admin
lister the laws of the state and be-
cause he denounces the money that
finances and the instruments that