The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-09-18
Why Business Men Fail.

> y
correspondent of the United States
Economist, the benefit of the replies
l have received from lending meE
of our country on the question,
"What, in your observation, have
been the chief causes of the numer-
Gus failures in life Of business and
professional menY'
mGoVernor st. John answers: "Idle-
ness, intemperance." Alexander H.
Stephens answers: "Want of pune
tuality, honesty andstruth." Hon.
Darwin r. James answers: 'Incor-
rect views of the great end and aim
of life. Men are not contented to
live plain lives of integrity and up
rightness. They want to get ahead
too fast and are led into tempta-
tion." President Bartlett of Dart
mouth College names as causes of
failure: ''Lack of principle, of fixed
purpose, Of perseverance" Presi-
dent Eliot, of Harvard, replies:
stupidity, laziness, rashness and
dishonesty" DR.. H. NJ. Dexter of
the Congregationalist, answers: 81.
Wantof thoughtfulness and prepara
ton. 2. Want of fixedness Of pur-
pose. 8. Want of faith in the inev-
liable triumph of right and truth"
Anthony Comstock's answers are !:
'Unholy living and dishonest prac-
tices, lust and intemperance, living
beyond ones means" Mr.. H. E. |
Simmons of the American Tract |
Society replies; "Fast living, men
tai, spiritual and bodily; lack of
attention to the details of business"
Gen. o. Howard answers in sub
stance: "Breakiug the divine laws
of the body by the vices, those of the
mind by overWork and idleness, and
those of the heart by making an
idol of self" Prof. Homer B.
Sprague of Boston, answers: 81.
Ill health. 2. Mistake in the choice
Of employment. 3. Lack of persis-
tent and protracted effort. 4. A
ow ideal, making success to con
sist in personal aggrandizement,
rather than in the training and de-
of true character" DIR.
~ 1AdA AOUObG duSMeTS. lie |
spirit Of laziness and self
,onceit that makes a man unwilling {
20 do anything unless he can choose
ust what he will do" Mr.. A. w. s
renney Of Brooklyn replies: "Out- I
ilde of intemperance, failure to 6
5rasp and hold, scattering too much, I
want of integrity and promptness, ]
to achieve success by
earning it in the old-fashioned way" {
The attorney general of a neighbor- [
ng state replies: Living beyond {
ncome and specializing with bor- l
owed funds, unwilling to begin at {
he foot and work up. Young men
want to be masters at fhe start and :
assume to know before they have
earned" And another reason in
he same line: "Desiring the sue
,ess that another has, without be-
ng willing to work as that man
loes. Giving money-making first
'lace and right-doing a second
)lace."
Judge Tourgee, author of ga j
FOOLS Errand," considers the fire. !
luent cause of business collapse to s
,e; "Trying to carry too big a
oad." AS to others, he says: 81
Ion't know about a professional L
mans failing, if he works, keeps T
ober and sleeps at home. Lawyers, t
minister's and doctors live on the L
ins of the people, and, of course, t
row fat under reasonable exertion, g
Mess the competition is too great. n
t requires real genius to fail in Fl
ither of the walks of life" Hon. C
oseph Medill, ,ex-mayor of Chicago, tt
Liquor drinking, gamb- Il
ng, reckless speculation, shirking b
ard work, frivolous reading, lack Q
f manhood in the bsttle of life, il
allure to improve opportunities" h
Among the causes of failure Civ b
4 by my correspondents many may tt
e classified under the general fault tt
wavering, such as "wavering tt
Observation-Disclosures"
failure to grasp and hold" ''scat- :.
ring too much" ''trying to do too al
any things, rather than stick to is
lie one thing one knows most W
oout." A young man spends seven OF
ears in grocery store and when u
3 has just learned the business he u
includes to go into dry goods. By u
ling to choose the first he has tn
Irown sway seven years expert az
ice. Probably, after learning the pi
y goods business, he will conclude re
become a matchmaker and at last 81
ecome "jack-at-all-trades," good pc
none. A prominent merchant 10
,ys: NEARLY all failures in legit- A
late business come from not serv-
g an apprenticeship to it," that is, G,
ON leaving a business one knows co
T another which he does not un- M
~
Another cause of failure is the on
sposition to escape hard work If
I'd get rich in haste-"desiring the ar
ccess another man has, without 81
ing willing to work as that man or
'es, and begin, as he did, at the in
OF of the ladder" How many to
40 were in haste to get rich, to a
ap without patient industry in So
wing, have learned the truth of
e old proverb: "The more haste,
e worse speedP 81
The Buffalo Express, a supporter on
Blaine, has this to say of Gov. tn
auaIoud. CCTb0ro ara fou orOoI | -.