The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-19
BY w. g. Joerns, in the Arena.

in Mr.. Joerns' article in the Arena on
| "A Study Of Rockefeller's Character.
| Motive and Duty"
Mr.. Joerns treats ofsthe question from
| an entirely different stand point than do
| most writer's: He analyses the man
thoroughly, without abuse or intention
to do him wrong. He makes careful
| research for the motive that prompts
him in his philanthropy. He questions
| the right Of the church to accept his
gifts until Mr.. Rockefeller makes
amends for the great wrongs he has
| done. The article is too good to boil
down, and so we publish 1t in full, and
submit it for the careful study of our
| readers:
The world was electrified when DR..
Washington GLADDEN., that grand and
venerable humanitarian, sent out his
ringing protest against the acceptance
of John D. Rockefellers 100000 gift
for foreign missions. Other good and
thoughtful men joined in the protest.
The reflective moral sentiment of the
| nation fervently said: "God-speed, We
| faithful followers of Christ! Amen!"
1t has been said that money Is king.
| There was. a time, not so long ago,
when, on the surface of things, it
threatened to be more than king; yea,
! not less than the Car of Cars. Provi-
dence, however. works in mysterious
! ways. Things seen are often Influenced
| nightly by things unseen. Indeed,
when worldliness and sordid power ap-
| peared at their nightiest, the oligarchy
of wealth seemed to have become tri-
| umphantly enthroned and permanently
onfranrhod. evoopharfo md onolnric<S
were prating Of benevolent feudalism"
| and sounding the death-knell of repub-
lican institutions, and patriots were
| deeply solicitous, at that very time the
| spirit of Christ was already abroad in
the land and sapping the foundations
| Of the luxuriant and massive castle
that Mammon had built. The cycle Of
Truth and Beauty and Brotherly Love
| had begun and the cycle Of Mad Com
| mercialism was on the wane.
Do not think that the broad reform
! movements which are sweeping over
the world are merely sporadic manifes-
tations. The great revival of substan-
tial religion, the renewed struggle for
political and economic liberty, the de-
mand for broader humanitarianism-
individual, national and International
the marvellous growth and free express
sion of true democratic spirit, and,
browning all, the moral awakening and
the singing rebuke to ill-gotten wealth
| are surely more than an ephemeral
outburst. Sordidness and selfishness
| in their utmost ramiflcation, had taken
possession Of the souls Of men and
made them mad. Beatitude alone can
| permanently satisfy and in it's expan-
sion mark increasing bliss. OF all ma
terial pleasures, of all sordid things,
| man, in the ultimate, must tire and be-
| come surfeited in their excess. In the
| final analysis conscience-individu
and national-must and will reign su-
preme. Any other ultimate spells ruin
and decay. The American nation has
taken but the initial steps in the un-
| folding Of divine purpose and the de-
| velopment Of its manifest destiny, and
serious and sober second-thought Is the
order of the day. We are certainly
witnessing the dawn of a new era.
There are worse men than John D.
Rockefeller. There is probably not
| one, however, who in the public mind
! so completely typifies the grave and
| startling menace to the social order
Hence public! condemnation or recog-
milton, In his case, are alike fraught
with the gravest possibilities for good
or evil Men Of conscience and noble
purpose are beginning to see that to
temporize and condone the principles
and methods that he stands for Is to
invite the living death.
Mr. Rockefeller is supposed to be the
richest man in the world. His enor-
nous wealth is alike his power and
his curse. 1t represents on the one
hand the coercive force, the honeyed
bride, the sitting gag; on the other 1t
marks blastsA hopes, betrayed trusts
individual &s1n, national degradation
and, withal, a shriveled soul. His
methods, in the misuse Of qualities that
might have made for good, are poison
for the body polite: and the benefits
that his peculiar practical qualities
might have developed for the race are
soutweighed a thousandfold by the dead
~ virus Of economic oppression and
moral obliquity in which they are over
whelmed. The mine hundred and nine
ty-nine buds and blossoms" that have
been ruthlessly sacrificed that one econ
| omic monstrosity (not American Beau
tyr might expand to deadly proper
tions, were after all the real salt OF
the earth" It is to such as they that
the world must look for progress and
not to the Capital Kings. 1t is from
! the rank and file that Mr.. Rockefeller
himself sprang.. It is to the rank and
file that his progeny must eventually
return.
The mental organisation of the
Great Oil-King' Ia superlatively sell
fish. This selfishness is not of the or
binary haphazard and spasmodic sort,
but of the cold, calculating and per-
| sistent kind-the kind that weighs and
measures and is 'indefatigable. The
sordid spirit of gain Is the cardinal
feature of the man. To it friendship,
| loyalty, truth-all that men ordinarily
hold dear--must bend and, It need be,
! break. But John D. Rockefeller had
other qualities that aided him in the
earlier day in improving unusual OPP
portunities with starting success. He
was keen reasoner. a great planner.