The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-04-24

which Mr. Rockefeller's announced
purpose has been received. Nothing
could be more unfortunate than TO
get the public into n mind OF willing
ness TO accept magnificent bcnefac-
tionS Of this kind az a bTibe from
great aggregations OF capital for the
privilege of continuing methods which
are generally Illegal and always anti
social.
If people arc to be bribed into ac-
quiescence OF trust methods and taCit
Endorsement OF trust morals, 1t may
be accepted at once that consolidation
and Capitalization OF wealth will so
on hereafter more rapidly than ever
before.
Mr.. Rockefeller has had introduced
into congress bill to grant federal
Incorporation to the Rockefeller
Foundation which will perpetually ad-
minister his estate. This foundation
is designated to be a great business
organization on one side. to keep the
great Rockefeller fortune rolling up
Ike a SNOWFALL into a greater and
greater fortune: and on the other
Side 1t Is to be a philanthropic agency
to distribute In charities. benefac-
tions, education. etoetera. whatever
part OF the usufruct may impress the
managers as a proper and timely salve
to the public feelings.
Think of II, Though we do not
permit entallment of estates, we are
solcmnly asked. in tho name OF hui
mnnity and OF charity, to grant char
ter which will amount 10 perpetual
entallment of the worlds greatest es-
tatc ever got together In the worlds
history. The managers would have
complete control OF investments and
organization. They would conserve
their resources in whatever fashion
their own will might dictate. BEING
a federal Incorporation, the power Of
any particular state to interfere with
tho managerial methods would he
largely destroyed The properties
now controlled by the house OF Rookie
fcller would be retarded in that con
troll and inevitably would increase
under the policy inherited from the
thrifty Mr. Rockefeller In short, If
the Standard OIL OF today is a mon
ster the Rockefeller Foundation will
very easily become a whole army of
Frankenstelns.
Bribery of the public conscience
and the social instinct is bad enough.
The fabrication of such creature as
IL is proposed to endow with pcrpet-
ual existence and unbelievable pow
ers Is bad enough. But entirely aside
from these considerations there Is an
aspect in which congress must very
carefully consider this gift from the
Greeks"
The great case in which the federal
government has demanded the disso'
lutIon of the Standard Oil Company
as conspiracy Is now before the SUI
prcme court OF the United States for
decision The circuit court of ap'
peals has already decreed dissolution
of the corporation and distribution oi
its properties. Mr. Rockefeller abso'
lutely dominates the Standard Oil
Company II IS the head and center
of the Rockefeller aggregation OF
wealth.
So that we have presented the re-
markable spectacle, on one side. OF
this great criminal corporation await
ing sentence on a capital charge, and
on the other side of congress propos-
Ing TO grant a new charter. which. In
the opinion of many people, might
easily be made the means of giving 10
the Rockefeller trust new lease oil
life on terms vastly more advanta
geous to 1t than any which even tho
marvellous corporation code of New
Jersey has ever conferred
We are thoroughly justified in look
Ing upon Mr. Rockefeller's charitable
proposal with suspicion. 1t is not
narrow mindedness that forces us &c
this suspicion We have long Won
dered Just how the adroit legal minds
Of Mr. Rockefeller's lawyers would
handle Standard Oil in case the su
preme court should uphold the lower
court and put the trust out OF busi
ness We have felt sure that these
capable brains would devise some
method--possibly new and unique
for allowing the mammoth combina
ton TO continue It's work. Yet in ouI
most naive guesses we never thought
OF charity and the proyerbial sins she
covers,
1t would be a great joke on tho
American public if such thing as
this should happen.
There is a tendency TO have girdleS