The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-06-23
Mr.. RockEFELtER's MONEY.

ed by the churches for the reason, as
he asserts, that it is tainted money!"
or, worse still, ''blood money!" and
bases his contention on the following
scriptural texts:
Then Judas which had betrayed him, when
he saw that he was condemned repented him.
self, and brought again the thirty pieces of sil
the chief priests and elders. saying
have sinned in that have betrayed the inno-
cent blood. And they said, What is that TO us?
See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces
OF silver IN the temple Aud the chief priests
took the silver pieces. and said. 1t is not lawful
for to put them into the treasury. because II Is
the price of blood. And they took counsel and
bought with them the potter's field to bury
strangers in Wherefore that field was called
the field of blood unto this day
notwithstanding that other text:
''judge not that ye be not judged" Mr..
Bryan assumes that MI. Rockefeller,
although uncondemned as Judas was,
has sold his Christ, yet does not as
sumo that his gifts for the spread of
the gospel and the uplifting of the
poor, show any signs of repentance or
of meekness, Or any disposition to
recognize the ''fatherhood of God or
the brotherhood of man, but we
shall not discuss that phase of the
question for Judging Mr.. Rockefeller
with other men who have been sue
cessful in accommodating colossal for
tunes, he, no more than they, it
seems to us, stands in Judas's san
dals
The texts show that while the
"chief priests and elders exercised
the right to close the treasury to this
money which was procured by the be-
trayal of Jesus, yet after argument
and counsel, the money was finally
accepted and was used for the pur-
chase of a field for the burial of I'M
known paupers.
Now, if it is Lawful to use even
"blood money! for one charitable
purpose. it is lawful TO use it for other
charitable purposes II il is lawful
to use it for the burial of the dead it
is lawful to use it for the caring of
the living, for the healing of the sick.
for the education of the poor, for the
clothing of the naked. for the feed
ing of the hungry, for the alienation
of distress III all its varied forms
and for the spread OF the gospel
among the heather.
But if in the accumulation of riches
| under present economic conditions,
as Mr. Rockefeller has done, is
betrayal of Christ" in the sense
that Judas betrayed him, who is to
escape?
What difference is there in making
money out of Standard Oil stocks and
other stocks? Standard Oil trusts and
other trusts? Standard Oil monopoly
and other monopolies?
Mr. Rockefeller has taken advan-
tage of existing conditions, and who
has refused to do so who has had the
opportunity?
This country will not get rid of the
Rockefellers as long as present condi-
tions prevail.
Like slavery, it is not an individu-
al, but a governmental sin, and will
exist as long as it has the sanction of
government.
Fanatics on the slavery question
denounced just as ferociously gifts
from shareholders to the churches as
tainted money" and yet, if the
Bible be true and history be true,
nearly all the world, at one time or
another, upheld the institution of
slavery.
The chief priests and elders" dis
cussed the matter but finally con-
Guided to take the money cast down
on the floor of the temple by Judas,
and In SO doing set the precedent for
the churches to accept these gifts
and all other gifts and use them for
the INDECENT poor; the churches have
ample warrant for the acceptance
and distribution of these millions for