Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-03-17
TOUGH RocKEFEL-
LER'S MONEY.

Mr.. Editor / beg to take exoep-
tion to an editorial in the last issue Of
your paper. ] refer 10 the Rockefeller
Foundation. You say, "His methods Of
accommodating wealth have not been TO our
liking.n Wby7 Because they have been
proven to be criminal. Then why should
"we scofiers" who have scoffed at dis
honesty, deliberate violation OF Law, de-
moralization of business and corruption
OF officials reconsider our Judgment OF
this man" who has been guilty Of all
these things?
The people were a long time finding
it out and when Miss Tarbell first called
general attention to the facts IN a series
of magazine articles the majority were
ready to rise in his defence and say they
did not believe the statements. Since her
entering wedge through court proceedings
known to all, her accusations have been
proven true and he stands today a con-
yicted criminal. Why should We "recon-
slider our judgment of the man?" He has
never confessed his crimes; be has never
restored to the persons he has wronged
their just dues; he has never done any
thing to make it appear that he has re-
pented. But he is an old man soon to die.
He cannot carry his i'll gotten gain with
him. file is a Baptist and believes in eter-
nal punishment. Christ said, at Is harder
for rich man to enter the kingdom Of
God than for camel to go through the
eye OF needle. he said, "How hardly
shall rich man enter the kingdom Of
heayenl" He told the young man OF
= ~ ale ~.
keep the law, that he lacked the one thing
needful aud must sell all that be had and
give to the poor.
10 these words II is possible to find an
explanation Of this move OF Mr.. RockefeI-
ler's, though it would appear he expects
st. Peter to let him of easy. He probably
considers that St. Peter is up.to-date and
has outgrown those early narrow ideas OF
Christ about the holding OF wealth, and
that he will act In accordance with twen-
tieth century Interpretation OF Christ's
words and be satisfied when Rookie Teller
tells him that be left his riches in the
world when be jeanne away and left direc-
tions TO have them given to the poor. My
private opinion is that be won't find the
venerable Saint so much up-to-date as he
expects. He probably hasn't been out OF
touch wi h the Master to quite the extent
that the twentieth century church has
which has allowed its members to so ut
terly disregard the teachings OF Christ on
the subject OF riches.
But to my mind the tendency to con-
done the crimes Of such men as Rookie
Teller and accept their money as '.atone-
ment" reveals a most alarming lack OF
moral sense. In that more than in any
other thing see "the hand writing on
the wallp which gives warning OF nation
al disaster. There is but one enduring
for any nation and that is
moral integrity. 1.-THE love Of money Is
the root of all evil' because it paralyzes
The moral sense. That is hat it has done
TO the men OF vast wealth in our time and
hat is what it has done to the great
masses of the people v no look upon them
loDgingly and admiringly. The masses
are getting their moral standards from
these men who have made riches. though
coupled with crime, the criterion OF sue
cess.
Those who are poor or who have little
would be rich even at the cost OF integrity.
They would "gain the whole world'' even
i 1t involved losing their souls. Is not
his about the attitude OF the great major
ty and hasn't it been largely encouraged
~ the magnificent success(?) OF such men
IS Rockefeller?
Yours truly,
Mary Traffarn whitney.
Rochester, VT, March ~, 1910.