Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-26
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW

a
Rockefeller in front of newsstand
asking for a newspaper or liias'"il'e
that contains no reference TO Johii ~
The continued and tremendous az
tacks on this man and his INGENIOUS
are likely to have little influence ih
controlling his actions for the lew
years left him, for by a mercliul pro-
vision of Providence, the slfghts ana
scorn of the world are but little felt or
noticed by old age, but there IS nope
that this expressed uprising OF ,he
public may deter some others from lol-
lowing In his footsteps.
In the second Of her two character
studies of John d. Rockefeller IN the
August McClure's, Miss Tarbell comes
to the conclusion that go far as the eff
feet OF Mr.. Rockefeller's career on the
public concerned he is a hypocrite.
THE great public does not deal in
nice psychological distinctions. II
takes the facts at hand and goes
straight to the evident conclusion. 1t
says that this man has for years lent
all the power of his great ability to
peTDeludLltlS tlIld CliOOiieAhs9 - 49,
of illegal and unjust discrimination by
common carriers. He has done this In
the face Of moral sentiment in the
face Of loudly expressed public opin-
ion, in the face Of the law. In the race
of the havoc his operations caused at
his very side. For forty years he has
fought to prevent every attempt to
regulate the wrongs the system
wrought, and when he failed to do so
he has turned his craft and skill to
finding secret and devious ways Of Sc
curing the privileges he desired. He
has done more than any other per-
son to fasten on this country the most
serious interference with free indivi-
dual development which it suffers. an
interference which. today, the whole
country is vainly to strike off. which 1t
it doubtful will be cured. so deep
seated and so subtle is it. except by
revolutionary methods.
mot only this. he has fought the
publicity business which is obviously
necessary to its safety; he has in
troduced into business spy system Of
the most odious character. He has
turned commerce from a peaceful pur-
suit to war, and honeycombed it with
cruel and corrupt practice; turned
competition from honorable emulation
to cutthroat struggle. And the man
who deliberately and persistently does
these things calls his great organiza-
ton benefaction and points to his
church going and his charities as
proof Of his righteousness. To the
man Of straightforward nature the two
will not tally. This. he says. is SUI
preme, cruel wrong-doing cloaked by
religion. There is but one name for tt
hypocrisy. 1t is not only the man In
the street who feels the hypocrisy Of
the case; 1t Is the man In the school
OF business Mr.. Rockefeller has Gre
ated, the man in the train of obse-
qufous followers his giving has collec-
ted. And what is the effect? Why, to
make hypocrites Of them-hypocrttes
or cynics! On all sides wer hear the
justification Of this school by deeds Of
charity"
any one, church member Of otherwise,
that has respect, for the Christian
religion, ought to fell the terrible eff
feet, the career of this man is having
on the religion he processes. Tainted
money" seems to focus the discussion
in all of the religions and secular pa
pers. Whether the churches should
accept money from John d. Rockefel-
Ter is Of far less Importance than that
one of our prominent church organiza-
tons, not only retains him in full
membership, but encourages him to
speak in prayer meeting and Sunday
school. This church by such action
logically il not literally endorses his
methods. They say in John D. Rocke-
Teller we have brother Christian.
They say virtually I'VE believe in az
cumulating money as Brother Rookie
Teller does. There Is no other way to
put it. And the world, the sinful, UNI
regenerate world, is asked to join our
church"
1t is 1.-THE irony Of fate"
that this personal handicap on
the teachings and doctrines of
Jesus Christ should be in this partic-
ular line Of business, whereby he
gained and continues his enormous
Wealth.. az llC lIACSldC VI SNcty POGL
man, every day the mass of the peo-
pie are reminded of Rockefeller and his
ill-gotten millions. They know that
his oil can be sold at half the price the
world over that it is today, and still
bring him profit enough to give away
many more millions Of tainted mon
ey.' These laboring men say with
reason, these colleges and churches are
built and endowed. with our money.
our labor, our sweat of the brow. They
say to the Christian church, you ask
us to become members Of an organiza-
ton that by silence and some open
admittances, has this man for an ex-
emplar Of your religion.
And strange it is, that the best peo-
pie Of this country, and by that term
the Christian people of the United
States, can justly be classified, do not
realize that in all this agitation the
question of tainted money" is of much
less Importance than the continued
active church membership Of John D..
Rocket ,iler. e
M1cL11a