The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-04-05
THE BURNING QUESTION.
continued from Fourth Page.)


think he was doing wrong, put II ne
was. what shall he do now, return II 10
the CORPORATION, or if he keep it, IS IL
tainted" money, and if so. does II
.staint' the rest of his money, SO ne
cannot have the privilege Of contripu-
ting TO any benevolent object. / make
this personal allusiOn, not in a captlous
spirit, but to show in small way the
difficulties which beset this whole ques-
ton, which so many good people think
is so simple that it can be settled at
once. in an off-hand way. Whatever
dangers there may be in the concentra-
ton of the control of so many OF the
principal railroads of the country in a
few hands, the ''cut rates" and special
privileges to a few have, (with the ex-
ception of the beef trusD, been largely
done away with, placing all eompetl-
tors in business on equal footings.
The third charge against the Stand
ard Oil company is that the control 1t
has obtained over an important article
of commerce enables 1t to exact from
the consumers an unreasonable profit
on every gallon sold. This is ''impor-
tant if true" The important question
is, not how much money has this COM
pany made. Can it be proved that
without this method of doing business
for the last thirty years oil would have
been sold cheaper ON an average than
it has been, or is 1t not possible that it
has been furnished much cheaper than
if the business had been divided with
forty competing concerns, with the usu-
al duplicating of plants and all other
expenses. $3.50.
The writer does not wish to eondone
or apologize for many of the methods
of business that have grown so rapidly
of late years, which are far from the
Golden Rule" and feels that it is the
duty of the press, the ministry, the
church and all good citizens to SO atr
tack these methods that they shall be
put away as far as possible by public
sentiment and wise legislation. This
will cover the whole ground, even to
the smallest sinner, as well as the
largest. ..@. T..
In conclusion a few words in regard
to what is so prominent in the public
mind at present, the relation of the
church and the world to what is called
Tainted Money" 1t may be well, be-
fore abruptly refusin Rockefeller's
money, to ponder a little as to where
we may land on this unknown sea-
There is a principle at stake, and We
cannot apply it in this case and omit it
where there is less involved. 1t is re-
ported that for a commission of several
millions the house of j. p. Morgan &
Co. has foisted on an unsuspecting pub
lie some two billions of watered and al
most valueless stocks, but Mr.. Morgan
is large contributor to various benev-
olent objects. Should these be all in
dignantly refused and his usual Sab
bath plate collection of fifty dollars be
politely returned to him by the officers
of his church, saying; We want none
of your tainted money!" But we are
mot at the end when we have con-
demned at wholesale all of these so
called great sinners" There are all
gradations of vice and wrong doing,
from the highest down to the petty
thief, and where shall the line be drawn
in making distinctions? A man may
run a liquor saloon, or be engaged In
some other business which is an Of
fence to many good people, and still
wish to provide sittings for his family
in some church, or, ii sittings are free,
to pay something towards expenses,
and may at times attend church HIM
self, but when he sends his check
should it be returned with the insulting
remark, 1--WE want none of your vile
money!" When, in our church SER
vices, the plates are passed for the
gifts of the people, should instructions
be given to omit those whose life and
conduct do not commend themselves to
all men? With all sorts Of people, in
an ordinary congregations who is to