Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-10
REV. HENSON SPEAKS
If Money Is Tainted That Is Not 5ap-
fists Guinness.

| Boston. April 9-''This is the first
tiine This question has come up in
practical shape With U.s." said the Rev.
p. s. Henson. pastor of fremont Tenn
pie. PERSONALLY my feeling would be
with reference to that, as with refer
cree to any other contribution that
was made to the Lord. and not to me,
that 1t was Il matter between the Lord
and the man who gave the money. and
it was none of MY business to decide
upon the way in which it was earned.
"In the case of Mr.. Rockefeller. L
know nothing but common report.
There are great differences of opinion
as to Mr.. ROckefellerS turpitude i'll the
matter of the way iii which he has
made his money. The two things that
| been alleged against him especially
are the matter of rebates on the rail-
| roads aid the matter of swallowing
| small competitors.
| "As to the rebates on the railroads,
in the time when everybody received
them the Standard Oil of course pur-
| sued the same policy. AS Il rule. where
| it is Il matter of open bargain, men
1 make the best bargains they can. ana
| as IL rule wholesalers do get better
terms than retailers. That is SO in al
most every business under the sun.
| And that policy was pursued no doubt.
| by the Standerd Oil Co.
| GAS to the absorption or the merger
of small companies into the Standard
| Oil Co., the Standard Oil Co. is no
| more /. sinner in that regard than eV-
| cry great corporation. The little rail-
| roads have been taken iii in the big
| railroads all over the continent. The
| small stores have been largely alb
| sorbed or driven out of business by the
| great department stores. That is IN
| evitable and has not commonly been
considered as criminal. unless criminal
methods have been employed to drive
| the small competitors out of business
But [ dcprecate lynch law. no mat
ter where it is visited, and by lynch
law | understand sentencing and exc
cutting men who have not been con-
victeG in courts of law. Where that
sort of punishment is visited upon the
bodie, of men, We all deprecate it and
say that we ought to wait for the due
process of the law and not take the
law into our own hands.
"Now, there are things that are more
|
and it seems to me that to visit judg-
ment. execution. upon this one man
who is supposed to be the head and
| front of the offenders. in advance or
his condemnation by the courts and by
| the United States government, VINO
are inGuiring into the matter. is to
take the law into our own hands and
lynch him before he has been convict
=; ha IL
poet.
| But further than that as to receiV-
ing money from d man who supposedly
has earned it by doubtful methods, IL
it imposes any sort of obligation upon
the parties receiving it to keep quiet
| concerning the donors Questionabi bic
| transactions then it would be sin to
| receive it. 1t would be i'm the nature
| of hush money and therefore an abOm-
nation in the sight of God and man.
"If it be tainted money. as is claimed.
| that is a matter between Mr.. Rockefel-
| Ter ard the Lord. He puts it in the hop
per and it goes through the hopper.
The Missionary Union is the hopper,
| ana the hopper is under no obligation
| to the man who puts his money into it..
The Lord will settle the question with
him. if it is tainted money, when he
comes to make the final reckoning.
But it is not for US to sit in Judgment
upon these contributions that are made
for supposedly pious purposes.
Il was instrumental in securing from
| Mr.. Rockefeller the first money given
by him to the University of Chicago
/, 5000 800. The old university had per-
, ished. and three or four of us under
took to raise IL sum of money to start
a new one. T:ut we We're utterly dis
, couraged. There was no hope. and |
said we would never do anything I'M
less we got inspiration of hope by some
, big gift.
= Il wrote to ii very rich man whom l
, knew. also Il member Of the Standard
Oil Co. desiring to know whether /
He quickly replied that if wanted to
say anything to him l could write it, I
replied that l didn't care to write it.
t "Then | wrote 10 Mr.. Rockefeller to
, know if he would see me if came to
New York. and he replied that he'd he
, very glad to see me at any time. /
went to New York and to his office,
where | learned to my distress that he
was dttenGlng a DOar0 meeting, l sent
in my card. Mr.. Rockefeller came out
in about 10 minutes. apoligized for
keeping ne waiting and asked what
he could do for me.
81 told him / didn't want to see him
while the board was in session, for l
wanted to have a good talk with him.
He said. They are not boys. They can
get along without me- He listened with
the utmost patience and courtesy to
what l had to say. l talked with him
for more than half an hour, during
which the board was still in session.
say this in justice to the man.
when | was through he said. wish
you'd put in writing the substance of
| what you have said to me and | will
consider il. I count myself he said.
| only a steward and T am responsible
for my stewardship and want to know
Just what 1 am doing 1 wrote him in