Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-31
DEFENDS ROCKEFELLER
SHARP STATEMENT By PASTOR
OF NEW YORK CHURCH.
Declares Criticisms Coarse, Cruel and,
Perhaps, Criminal, and Have Ma
igned Baptist Denomination.

NEW YORK, May 31-The recent criu-
cisms of John D. Rockefeller growing out
of his gift of 100000 to the American
board of commissioners for foreign mis-
sions are declared in an article by the Rev.
Dr.; Robert Stuart Macarthur, pastor of
the Calvary Baptist Church of this city, to
be published tomorrow in the Examiner,
BAPTIST publication. to be coarse, cruel and
erhaps criminal, and to have maligned the
entire Baptist denomination. He protests
aga inst the condemnation of our churches
by these cowardly and unjust attacks" de-
clares that no one knows better than Mr..
Rockefeller that he cannot buy the APP
prevail of Baptists by his millions; that
Bal lists would advocate his expulsion from
the church If 1t were proved that he had
| acquired his money dishonesty or by means
morally or socially destructive.
He adds that he has investigated certain
bus ness transactions which have been
fiercely denounced by Mr.. Rockefeller's
critics and has found them in accordance
with the highest standards of commercial
morality. Mr.. Rockefeller, he asserts, is
worthy of confidence, admiration and af-
lection, and appeals for fairness OF judg-
ment for him.
Rev. DR.. MacArthrrs article is entitled
THE Baptist Brotherhood Defended" and
is in part as follows:
Maligned the Baptist Church
THE recent coarse, cruel and perhaps
criminal criticisms of Mr.. John D. Rookie
Teller have maligned the entire Baptist de-
nomination. His traducers are its defam-
ers. Baptist pastors ought no longer to re-
! main silent when their denomination is
! made the subject of such unjust criticism.
| AS member of the Baptist brotherhood L
| protest against the condemnation of our
| churches by these cowardly and utterly I'M
| just attacks. l affirm that the censnres ia
| ficted upon the denomination and upon
| Mr.. Rockefeller as prominent member of
| a Baptist church. unjust.
| Il have known Mr.. Rockefeller for many
years, and my intimate personal acquaint-
| ance with him has convinced me that he is
| worthy Of the highest honor as a man. and
| or the fullest confidence. esteem and affec-
| ton Christian. l have taken pains to
| make careful inquiry regarding certain
! business transactions which have been the
| subject of fierce denunciation on the part
| of some of Mr.. Rockefellers critics; and /
| do not hesitate to declare. on the basis of
| such knowledge that these transactions,
| when fully understood and fairly judged,
are in accordance with the highest stand
| ards of commercial morality.
| MY examination has shown me that
many charges are based upon half truths,
| and that when the full truth was ascer-
| tanned these very tranSa ctionS redounded to
| Mr.. Rockefellers honor leader in bust
| ness and as a professor of the Christian
! faith. In enormous business as that Of
| the Standard Oil Company it is inevitable
| that agents of the company perform acts
| without Mr.. Rockefeler's knowledge and
| without his approval high officer of the
Standard Oil Company, intimately acQuaint-
| ed for nearly generation with Mr.. Rookie
| feller's daily influence in its counsels, in
| formed me recently that Mr. Rockefeller
| had always been quick to deplore and to
correct instances of unjust and injurious
| over-Zeaf