Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1905 — ROCKEELLER IS DENOUNCED BY THE CONGREGATIONAL CLERGY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ROCKEELLER IS DENOUNCED BY THE CONGREGATIONAL CLERGY.

John I). Rockefeller, the donor of SIOO,OOO to the American Board of Foreign Missions' of the Congregational church, is shown at the left of the picture; to the right is the Rev, Washington Gladden of Columbus, Ohio, who opposes the acceptance of the donation on the ground that the money was illegally extorted from the people. Rockefeller’s gift has aroused a storm of protests, coupled with denunciations of the bitterest kind, from the Congregational clergy. Below arc two of these stinging allusions to the Standard Oil magnate: R cv. Dr. Gladden, pastor of the leading Congregational church of Columbus, Ohio, says: "The money proffered to our Board of Missions comes out of a colossaljestate, whose foundations were laid in tho most relentless rapacity known to modern commercial history. The United States government is now engaged in a strenuo'us attempt to ferret out and punish this injustice. And the people of the United States have a tremendous battle on their hands with the corporate greed, which has intrenched itself in this stronghold and has learned to use the railways for the oppression and spoliation of the people. And now, on the eve of this battle, they are asked to accept a great gift of money from the man who more completely than any other represents the system they have summoned to fight. I hope Cougregationalists are not mean enough to take his money and theft turn around and fight him. I hope they are not so faithless to their obligations as to take his money and shut their mouths or become his apologists. “We do. not want this man’s money. To accept it will be to earn the contempt of millions of honest men; to reject it will strengthen our churches in the affection and respect of millions who are inclined to doubt whether the churches love God more than mammon. Our missions will be richer and stronger without it than with it, and we shall lose nothing by our loyalty to the things unseen and eternal.” In Brookline, Mass., Rev. H. G. Hale, pastor of the Congregational church, says: “Mr. Rockefeller stands to-day under arraignment by the American people. He stands for a system which is among the most pernicious influences in our American life. He is teaching the young men of the nation the doctrine of success at any cost by methods of competition which shoot to kill. This is the grossest materialism. In the nature of the case all money given cannot be investigated. This is a case of unusual transparency. My conscience is nrrayed irrevocably on the side of the protest. I believe that- the church has a rare opportunity to array itself on the side of disinterested righteousness.”