The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-24
THE PRICE
OF A SOUL
SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT
William J. Bryan Writes a Very
Instructive and Touching Ar.
ticIe on The Price of a Soul
Referring to h. h. Rogers

The papers are now giving us
sketches or, and incidents in. the
life of H. H.. Rogers they are
also estimating the wealth he left
That he was man of mental
strength and business ability goes
without saying. His wealth is
variously stated at from fifty to one
hundred million dollars-let lis
average it at seveutyfive millions.
Giving MIN fifty working wears. he
has collected on an average a mil
lion and half year, in addition
to what he has expended. \ mil
lion and a half a year This is an
enormous income, and if honestly
earned, it measures an eXtraordin-
ary service to society. Will the
friends of Mr.. Rogers point out
Just what he did, so that the public
may judge as to whether his in
come exceeded his earnings The
president rec elves seventy five
thousand dollars a year; and as
the chief executive presides over
government under which more than
eighty millions of people live. The
average income of Mr.. Rodgers
for more than fifty years has been
twenty times as great as the income
enjoved by the President of the
United States. Did he perform a
work twenty times as important, or
render a service twenty times as
valuable
Opinions differ as to NJ. Rogers
ideals. His friends emphasize his
charities, while his opponents call
attention to his business methods.
The opinions expressed seemed to
be largely colored by the sympa-
thies of those who have spoken
those who speak from the stand
point of the nonopolist see IN HIM
a great representative of industry;
those who regard a private mono
poly as indefensiblc and intolerable
cite him as an illustration of the
manner in which habitual wrong
doing will scar the conscience ana
distort the vision Amid such a
variety of witness it is not strange
that the readers should be confused
by the conflicting testimony, but
there is one witness whose evidence
ought to be accepted without ques-
ton, and that is II. II. Rogers
himself. His will doubtless re-
vealed the inner Rogers, and gives
US the real measure OF his SOUL
He leaves practically all OF his I'M
mense wealth to his family. lie
makes a gift to the town OF MS
birth, but beyond that there IS
nothing, or next to nothing 10 IN
dictate that he recognized the Claims
of the public. His sympathies dld
not 20 out to hospitals and lnstltu-
tons of mercy; his spiritual lie
was not such to link him with the
interests of the church in the spread
of the GOSPEL or in the extension or
missions, domestic or foreign nc
seemed to be little interested III
philanthropic enterprises.
But possibly it is Just as well
that his selfshness manifested IL
self in the disposition of his good9'
If he had been generous ana ialse
hearted in his requests, his VIII
would have been used to give
halfway justification to the methon'
which he employed i'll the accu'''-
lation of his money; but as 1t IS h''
will presents an Indictment nov
only against him, but against 'i'"
peculiar type of business NE W' ~.
he represented-a life III wiiich 'n'
Soul is shriveled and the better III
pulses stihed by business PRAGUE
which deaden the conscience al.
rob life of that which makes
worth living. w hat 9"a' Il,
profit man if he gain the Wi'oi'
and lose his own SOUL 1.-The Oo'h
mOner