The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-10-22


Success IN any undertaking depends
quite - much upon correct method -
upon right motive. And yet there arc
many very worthy people who confuse
the two. and think II their motives are
right they ought To succeed without 70.
gard 10 methods. but unless wise
method supplement good motive results
arc u slight value. As between man
and man, correctness Of method 10 tho
vital thing. People with very bad mo-
tives may have very excellent methods.
and people with the best Of motives may
have the most execrablc methods and
continually defeat their own plans and
hopes.
For example: A woman with the best
intentions may make very bad bread
and do wretchcd cooking generally.
No matter how pure her motive may
be. II she will "depend on soda 10 raise
her bread. her biscuit. her pancakes.
her swect.caEes; II she will make her
pic.paste Of soda and spoil green peas
with Il, and 'greea' string beans with
Il, and wash meats with solution Of It
In hot weather. rs q correspondent
writes Is the custom in the locality
where she Is staying, no possible purity
Of motive will make her cooking any
thing but intensely revolving and utterly
ruinous to all healthy stomachs.
Mcddlcsome people, mischief.makers,
stirrery up Of seditiOn and strife. are
often persons Of spotless purity of mo-
tive. and when trouble results from
their methods Of trying to set things
right, take refuge in the integrity Of
their motivex and are utterly Oblivious
ofaed inscnsible to all arguments re.
ilecting upon their methods. There is
not . political assassin that does not
justify his method. however disastrous
Il may prove, BY his motive. and when
he finds public opinion does not sustain
him. he becomes straghtway martyr
to his principle. Away with all such
martyrs!
Correct method will often do much
to make up for deficiencies in motive
power. For instance. the teacher who
teaches not so much from pure love Of
the work rs that he may make living
by 1t, Il his methods be good, may en-
joy larger success in his teaching than
he who loves the work but is not trained
to 1t. So with physicians and clergy.
men. with hOusekcepers and artisans.
We are often placed in positions with
little regard to our fitness or liking
for them, and the total success We win
in filling them creditably must depend
upon the methods We adopt. II these
are unwisc, wrong, Inadequate, failure
will surely bc our portion. no matter
how pure and high our motives may be-.
Tho application Of plain common
sense to the ordinary affairs of life is
much needed. There are ten thousand
things with which conscience and pure
motive have nothing whatever to do.
They come simply under the rule Of
common sense. prOpriety, the fitness Of
things, what Is expedient, what is adj
visable. Of course we take it fol
granted that the underlying motive
shall be just and right and true, that
the intention shall be honest and pure,
but that Is not enough. We are endowed
with reason no less than with con.
science, and faith, and hope. A grea,
many excellent people have an idea tina,
to apply the ordinary. carnal. everyday
principles Of good business manage
ment to matters Of duty and high prin
ciple is something Of . proclamation.
But tho most efficient church in m,
community is the one that is conducted
on the sOundest business principles. ont
whose pastor and whose officers posses!
first, sound common sense, and second
ardent piety.
Those who have left q lasting and be
neiicent record Of good deeds have beer
nell and women Of pure motives an(
Of wise methods. They have made thei
investments Of time. Of labor, Of enthn
siasm. Of money. with skill and fore
thought and deliberation. They hav,
tested their methods at the bar OF com
mon sense as we'll as Mt the bar Of con
science, anil have adopted such as tn
experience OF the world has proven wis
and efficient.
i As the academic year now opens thi
Is = good time for students to decid
upon and adopt the best methods il
conducting their studies 10 as to divid
their time, their labor, their rest, tina
they may realize tho largest possible
results therefrOm. to settle upon sucl
I adjustments OF their tasks to their abil
ity TO perform them as shall not over
task their physical resources. and rem
der them liable to future bankruptcy
And for the rest OF Us, the time Is 81
ways ripe for improvement In our meth
DDS while We keep tho motive power q
IT. highest aud best.-M. 7. Tribune.
AL -.