The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-06-03
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C[ERICDEFENDS
OIL |MACNATE
Rev. Macarthur Says Rockefel.
Ter Is An Honest and
L0Vable Man.

AOvdU46 Mall.
NEW YORK. May s1-The recent
criticisms of John D. Rockefeller grow
ing out of his gift of 100000 to the
American board of commissioners for
foreign missions are declared in an ar
ticle by the Rev. DR.. Robert Stuart
Macarthur, pastor of the Calvary Bap-
fist church Of this city, to be published
tomorrow in the Examiner. Baptist
publication. to be coarse, cruel and
perhaps criminal, and to have maligned
the entire Baptist denomination. He
protests against the condemnation of
our churches by these cowardly and
unjust attacks" declares that no one
knows better than Mr.. Rockefeller that
ne cannot buy the approval OF Bap-
| lists by his millions; that Baptists
church il 1t were proved that he had
| acquired his money dishonesty or by
means morally or socially destructive.
Business Methods Good.
He adds that he has investigated
| certain business transactions, which
have been fiercely denounced by Rock
efeller's critics and has found them In
accordance with the highest standards
Of commercial morality. Mr.. Rockefel-
| 4SAs lac dSoCAlS, ~ WOII1Ay VI CO1AAuCAAAo,
admiration and affection and appeals
for fairness of judgment for him.
| Rev. DR.. MacArthur's article is en-
titled 1.-THE Baptist Brotherhood De-
Tended" and Is in part as follows:
1.-THE recent coarse, cruel and per-
haps criminal, criticisms of Mr.. John
D. Rockefeller have maligned the en-
tire Baptist denomination. His ira
ducers are its defamers. Baptist pas
tors ought no longer to remain silent
when their denomination is made the
subject Of such unjust criticism.
Enters His Protest.
"As member of the Baptist BROTH
erhood, 1 protest against the condem-
nation of our churches by these cow
ardly and utterly unjust attacks, at
firm that the censures inflicted on the
denomination and upon Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter, as a prominent member of Bap-
tist church, are unjust. I have known
Mr.. Rockefeller for many years, and my
intimate personal acquaintance with
him has convinced me that he is
worthy Of the highest honor as man,
and of the fullest confidence, esteem
and affection as a Christian. I have
taken pains to make careful inquiry
regarding certain business transact
tions which have been the subject of
fierce denunciation on the part of some
of Mr.. Rockefeller's critics, and I do
not hesitate to declare, on the basis of
such knowledge, that these transac-
tons, when fully understood and fairly
judged, are in accordance with the
highest standards of commercial NOR
Iality.
Wants Full Truth.
my examination has shown me that
many charges are based upon half
truths, and that when the full truth
was ascertained, these very transac-
lions redounded to Mr.. Rockefeller's
a professor Of the Christian faith; in
so enormous a business as that Of the
Standard Oil company, it is inevitable
that agents of the company perform
acts without Mr.. Rockefeller's knowl-
edge and without his approval. A high
officer of the Standard OIL company.
Intimately acquainted for nearly a
generation with Mr.. Rockefeller's daily
influence in it's councils. informed me
recently that Mr.. Rockefeller had al
ways been quick to deplore and to cor
rect instances Of unjust and injurious
over-zeal. DR.. GLADDEN. in one of his
declamatory articles, quotes the denun-
ciatoin Of an Ohio. judge of railroad
officer for making a certain contract
with an agent Of the Standard.
Cancelled Obnoxious Order.
But this was nearly generation
ago; that the Standard was never
party to the suit, and what is most of
all to the point. that this very contract
was ordered cancelled as soon as it
was brought to Mr.. Rockefeller's at
tention and before any complaint was
uttered about it. Or take the case of
the Cleveland widow, now become Gel
ebrated. Anyone who will take enough
pains to read the affidavits printed
and accessible, but ignored and sup
pressed by the hostile critics, cannot
the generosity, the courtesy, the mag
} naminity and the forebearance of
Christian gentleman.
It has been affirmed by some of
Mr.. Rockefeller's critics, that by his
gifts to the Baptist denomination he
has purchased it's approval Or at least
it's silence. To say that such a body Of
Christians could be bought by Mr..
Rockefeller's money, is to excite the
derisive laughter and evoke the right
eous indignation Of every intelligent
Baptist.
Cannot Buy Church.
mo one knows better than Mr..
Rockefeller himself that he cannot buy
the approval of Baptists by his mil
lions. There are Baptist leaders Of to-
day who would not hesitate for a mo-
ment to advocate the expulsion of Mr..
Rockefeller from the Baptist denomin-
alton il it were proved that he &C
quired his money dishonesty or by
means morally or socially destructive.
The Baptist leaders are becoming
thoroughly indignant at the malevolent
spirit and contemplate methods of Mr..
Rockefeller's opponents
Rev. DR.. Macarthur declares that
the critics of Mr.. Rockefeller appeal to
the passions of the unthinking multi
tude and that this is assassination Of
character. He "repels Indignantly the
charge that the Baptist denomination
has solicited money from a man whose
wealth has been dishonesty acquired,
points out that DIR. William J. Tucker,