Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-04

SCORES AMERICAN BOARD.
Address ct Rev. Mr.. W;II;.r...
Formerly Of Augusta.

A dispatch to the Boston Globe from
daverhill, Mass. states the FOLLOWING.
Kew. James S. Williamson. ma stor ~
TIE North Congregational church the
leading church Of that denomination in
this city, attacked the American hoard
OF foreign missions in his sermon todoy
for accepting the gift Of 100000 from
John D. Rockefeller. Rev. Mr. William.
son was one Of the committee of Con-
gregatiomal ministers who protested
against the acceptance Of the gift. In
his sermon he said:
Across the longing for the extension
OF practical brotherhood, which is char
acterist1c OF the present, there comes
the dark shadow of human greed. find
IN gifts expression in civic and CONNER
cial anarchy-the effort to get some.
thing without rendering an equivalent.
The organization which stands ont
most prominently as the incarnation of
this dchumanizing spirit of greed is thu
corporation known as the Standard oil
now under investigation by the officers
of the national government and indicat-
ed at the bar of public opinion as with
out conscience and without a soul.
The president Of this corporation. at
the indirect solicitation Of the officers
Of the American board, gave 800, 900 10
be used III educating the heather in
Asia Minor. A protest has been made
against the acceptance of the gift, be-
cause the church must be above sus-
picion and must refuse TO enter into
any relation where her voice. in declar-
ing the principles of Righteousness,
would be under cOnstraint.
The men who have made the protest
have been sneered at ss vaporing ideal
lists. They can afford 20 be patient, gen.
erouS and sweet toward this because,
after all. the ideals of right are endur-
ing things.
The officers of the American board
refuse the protest on the ground tina.
it is not based upon principle capable
of universal application.
TIE conscience OF the Christian
world will sustain them in trying to
make ii universal principle that mon
ey accumulated by men whose business
methods are morally Ubiquitous and So
cially destructive shall not be used to
promote among heather people the
knowledge of the pure, unselfish and
self-sacrificing Christ
hunting up Of the pedigree of every
dollar used for missionary work, is as
unreasonable as that because the prose-
cutting attorney has brought to the bar
OF justice one person reasonably be-
iaved guilty of THEFT. he shall proceed
no further until he has found some
method of bringing to justice every per-
son in the county suspected Of crime
THE officers of the board proceed to
plant themselves behind principle
which they believe is that they have no
moral responsibility for discrimination
as to the sources from which they re-
ceive money for Christian work. This
position is as vicious as it is sordid."
'''rhe world has reason to wonder why
these officers should not at least keep
abreast instead of falling below the eth
ical standard set in this matter by the
Elen who insisted upon the cruci:ixiOn of
Jesus when the refused to use for dis
tinctively religious work the 80 pieces of
silver which the repentant and Borrowing
Judas left with them.
These men cannot mean to shield
themselves behind a principle which
the money which might be given to them
by an unrepentant keeper of house of
shame or a den of thieves.
THE officers of the board tell the men
who protest that they have other ways
Of making their views known. and the
blow should not be struck at the expense
of the people in the nOnChristian world.