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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1905)
'wmyfntifi iw1 iifcy f' ""' APRIL 14, 1905 The Commoner. 15 ... c." A RINGING PROTEST The committee of Congregational clergymen who are protesting against the acceptance by the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions of John D. Rockefeller's gift of $100,000 have issued a statement which will be printed and scattered broadcast over the country. This statement is ad dressed to "the corporate members of the American Board and the ministers of our Congregational churches." Re ferring to this statement the Associ ated Press says: "After reciting the history of the controversy the statements says under the caption 'the main issue:' "The protest rests on the conviction that the church must not stand in compromising relation to a man who in public light represents methods that are oppressive, dangerous and wrong. We cannot disregard the effect of the association which his name in view of the facts that are widespread and no torious unfortunately carries with it. The church cannot afford to enter into any relation that may weaken or dis credit it in the fulfillment of its task. "The main question is one of the moral prestige and power "of the church. "All the confusion arising from the literal use of the figure, tainted money, may be brushed aside at once. Money is impersonal; it is not tainted and cannot taint morality. It is by volun tary relation to the donors that moral responsibility is incurred. With the unknown or unimpeached giver the church is brought into no such con scious and deliberate relation. The re fusal or a gift from such a source as this in question does not imply 'investi gation of the record of every giver and this whole practical difficulty which has been allowed to obstruct our ful fillment of the obvious duty of the .-moment, falls to the ground as ficti cious. . " "The church owes it to Itself and the public conscience to acknowledge re sponsibility when it voluntarily enters into dealings with a donor who stands openly Impeached of serious offenses which it is our duty to condemn. "It Is not required that the church . form a "tribunal to pass judgment on personal character or probe into the business methods of all givers. Such amination is not necessary in refusing a gift. Public belief and expression formed on extensive evidence through a long series of years furnish sufficient basis for such action. This works no 'injustice to an individual' by 'singling him out' among others suspected of being 'bad as he.' It is his own ac tions whichhave already singled him out before the world as a notorious and typical instance of an evil element In our national life. "However formidable may be the practical difficulties in the way of ex ercising this responsibility they must not obscure the ethical demand. The balancing of prudential considerations can only be a half way station in the consideration of any moral question. Where shall we begin if not with the most conspicuous case that has yet been reported to our church. Where we must end is shown by the answer of the prudential committee. We must end in the declaration of complete Ir responsibility for the sources from which we acept gifts. Their words are the principle on which this policy is the belief that our responsibility begins - with the receipt of the gift. "Before gifts are received the re sponsibility is not ours but is that of donors In their 'own conscience. "We believe that the church will never rest in this principle. It has not done so in the past. By many acts and utterances the church has declared its right and duty to discriminate among donors. The principle itself is vicious and corrupting and it is im- . possible in practice. We cannot acquit ourselves of responsibility in receiv ing money for we do produce a moral effect 'Money talks' and the board has done much in the past to give it a voice. Over against this position we urge the positive principle in appli cation to this specific case. This re quires that the representatives of a christian body be particularly sensitive to the moral bearing of gifts offered and especially to the social affect aris ing from their acceptance. If from any cause the proposed relation promises to bring embarassment refusal to enter it is justified by the law of self respect. "The application v of this principle was never so much needed as now. The church finds itself in danger of losing its moral leadership. It cannot be blind to the growing alienation be tween those who have and those who have not. Its message is to the entire human family and not only human fel lowship but the Interests of righteous ness are at stake in the problems of trade. There is no question on which side of this contest the church should stand. "The motives which constrain us to this appeal are a deep solicitude be cause of the corporate evils that threaten our nation, our sense of the solemn and imperative mission of the church as the moral educator of the people and a jealous zeal lest its au thoritp be Inspired by any seeming compromise with the evil it is set to condemn. By the convergence of these motives upon this special case now brought before us as a church it is lift ed into commanding importance and our decision is fraught with momen tous and far-reaching consequences." "HOWLERS" In his "Comic School Tales," H. J. Barker gives some amusing answers by children, technically known in Eng ?pi:d as "Howlers." Here are some of them: A teacher in a school at Step nty, East London, was giving her class an examination on the scriptural work of the previous three months. Among ether questions the lady asked: "With what weapon did Samuel slay the thou sand Philistines?" And-one girl, jumb ling her old and new testament knowl edge, stood up and replied: "With the ax ol the apostles." A woman teacher had been explaining the story of the casting adrift of the infant Moses. "Now, why was it, do you think, that the good mother daubed the little ark beat so carefully with slime and pitch?" "Oh, ma'am," said one little 5-year-old girl, "to make the baby stick in side." Another teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Try ing to make the matter clearer, he said: "Now, boys, if I stood on my head the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I should turn red in'j the face." "Yes, sir," said the boys, "Now," continued the teacher, "what I want to know is this: How is it that while I am standing upright in thr ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" And a little fell' shcutofl "Why, sir, because yer feet ain't empty." A teacher' of a class was disturbed b3 giggling among certain boys and culled upon one of the culprits to tell him the cause. "Please, sir," respond ed the lad, "Turner says he knows of a baby who was fed elephant's milk and gained ten pounds a day." "Tur ner," said the teacher, sternly, "you should not tell lies." But it's true, sir," rejoined the pupil. "Whose baby was it?" "he elephant's, sir," replied the lad. Chicago' News. V NEW ZEALAND v v is one of the xnoat proprcwlvo conntrlci in tho worll. Free to form their own coTornment n.T t0 . , p,e t.he,r JcKMatlon, unhampered by previous systerai, the people ofthcAo intcr cstiHfr Wands havo adopted many reforms hlch aro now under dlscusafon here and else where. , . "POLITICS IN NEW ZEALAND" Is the title of a pamphlet of 11G pages which tdli nil about the success of tho Torrcns sys tem of land transfers, government telegraph and telephone lines, government rullroads, poBtal Bavlngs banks and other roforms.-prio 25 cents postpaid. Address C F. TAYLOU, Daker Dulldtnrf, Philadelphia, Pa. y ! urn r ...., r-Yn'ivrrririirtrwimijinjuj N DO YOU WANT A GOOD STOCK PAPER ? N Wo Offer This Week the Following Combination THE COMMONER $1.00 LIVE STOCK JOURNAL $1.00' (Chicago Kstablisued 37 years) ; vj BOTH FOR $1.25 A YEAR. v ii m ""- '"nsMvr"rB"rnrwriYrrwrvrrtnifwrrrifnirftMvrMtfiiiiflrwyiiriMim( w 1 THE $50,(300,000 WORLD'S FAIR, bSH" BOUQHT.Phf THE CHICAGO MOUSE WRECKING CO. Million v( Hollars' worth of n.nterl.l will be plied on tho market (or quisle s&lo by ui At prices that will mean an enormous taring to purchaieri. Now la your opportunity to put into execution your long contemplated ImprorcmenU. 100,000,000 FEET OF HIGH GRADE LUMBER FOR SALE Tho time to bur Lumber ii today. Eren if yon do not need any Lumber today, It will par you to purchase It now and atora It (or (uturo uie. It's better than roouoy In the bank. Iluy quick, beratiio tho prlco at which we will otter tbla material It bound to tell It aa (att aa we can make delivery. The finest gradci o( Lumber wero used in tho construction of tiili Grand Exposition. We hare everything needed In the construction and furnishing of a building for any purpose, SEND US YOUR LUMBER BILL FOR OUR ESTIMATE YOU CAN SAVE FROM 30 TO BO IP YOU BUY AT ONCE. This la your opportunity to build or Improve yonr Home, Bum, Warehouse, Church, Kievator, Tool Shed, Oranary and Crib, Htnre, Hcbool House, and in fact any kind of a building. We can furnish you anything In the lino of Manufacture! Articles, Hoofing of all kinds. Wire Fencing, ripe, Furnltnrn and thousands of other Items. ASK FOR OUR SPECIAL CATAI OOUE 40 CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKING CO., EXPOSITION GROUNDS, ST. LOWS, MO. I CURED MY RUPTURE I Will Show You How to Cure Yours FREE. I was helpless and twd-rldden lor years from a double rupture. No truss could hold. Doctors said I would die If not operated on. I fooled them all and cured myself by a simple discovery. I will send the cure free by mall if you write for It. It cured mo and has slnco oured thousands. It will cure you. Write today. Capt W. A. Colllngs 110X719, Water town, N. Y. PROTECTED BY BLOCK SIGNALS. flr The first rnllway In America to adopt tho absolute Block System la the. opera- ,- tlon of all trains was the . ,''' Chim dr Mil wiiiilri Rr Tanl T?nilTr;iTr . k www, .-. . V WW. -. MMMTVU, It today has more miles of rond operated under block signal rule than any other railway company. The St. Paul Road was the first railway to light Its trains by electricity, and it now has more than three trains from Union Station, Omaha, to Union Station, Chicago, every day. For Time Table Special Rate Write FA. NASH, General Western Agent, .$ 1524 Farnam Street, Omaha. $lir;$fi0t "COL. PETTIT DEAD Dealh lias claimed Colonel Wm. B. Pettit of Palmyra, Va. He served as a soldier in the confederate army and as a democrat he won prominence fa his community and state. Alaska Excursions Via the beautiful "Inland Passage" to Wrangel, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Sitka. Pacific Coast Steamship Co.'s S. S. "Spokane," leaving Tacoma and Seattle June 8, 22, July 6, 20, August 3, 17, connecting with through service of the j Northern Pacific Railway The Lewis and Clark Exposition, Juno 1 to Oct. 15, 1905; and YELLOWSTONE PARK, June 1 to September 20, en route Very Low Rates West BOOKLETS-Four cents for Lewis and Clark Booklet "A," sbecentsfor "Wonderland," to A. M. Cleland, Q. P. A., St. Paul. Information Address E.D. Rockwell, DIst. Pass. Agent. 318 Citizens' Banft Bldg.. De3 Moines, leva. kI ! mmBmkmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm kv XitW. .gftLu fc.i at , i, -. . '& - .