The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-07-04
Why Business Men Fail.
Cor United States Economist.

1 Cor' United States Economist.
/ Let me give your readers the bene
ut ofthe replies L have received from
leading men of our country to the
question, "What, in your observa-
ftlon, have been the chief causes ol
the numerous failures in life of bust.
mess and professional men ?"
Il Governor st, John answers: idle.
mess, intemperance." Alexander II
Eclephens, answers: "Want OF
kpunctuality, honesty and truth,''
ZION. Darwin r, James, answers
"1ncorrect views OF the great end and
aim of life. Men are not cOntented
20 lives of integrity and uprightness.
They want to get ahead too fast, and
.,s2 led into temptation President
Bartlett, of Dartmouth college,
names as causes of failure: "Lack
OF principle, Of fixed purpose, of per
severance" President Eliot, of Har-
ward, replies: "Stupidity, laziness,
rahnesS, and dishonesty" DR.. II.
M. Dexter, of THe C0ngretj0nalist,
answers :"l. Want of thoroughness
OF Preparation. 2. Want of fixed.
nessof purpose. 3, Want of faith
in the inevitable triumph of right
and ruth"
Anthony Comstock's answers, are:
"UnhOly living and dishonest prac-
tices, lust and intemperance, living
beyond ones means" Mr.. H. E.
fSimmons, of the American Tract So
ciety, replies: Fast living, mental,
spiritual and bodily; lack of attention
to the details Of business" Gen. O.
Howard answers in substance :
"Breaking the divine laws Of the
body by vice; those of the mind by
overwOrk and idleness. and those of
the heart by making an idol of self"
Professor Homer B, Sprague, of Bos-
ton, answers: 81. Ill health. 2.
Mistakes in the choice of employ
ment. 8. Lack Of persistent and
protracted effort. 4. A low ideal,
making success to consist in personal
aggrandizement, rather than in the
training and developement Of a true
and noble character"
DR.. Lyman Abbott answers: "Thp
combined spirit of laziness and self
conceit that makes man unwilling
to do anything unless he can chose
iust what he will do" Mr.. A. w.
Tenney, OF Brooklyn, replies "Out-
side of intemperance, failure to grasp
hold. scattering too much, want of
integrity and promptness, unWill-
ingness to achieve success by earn
ing it in the old. fashioned way"
The attorney general of a neighbOr-
ing state, replies: "Giying beyond
income, and speculating with Dor.
rowed funds; unWillingness to begin
at the foot of the ladder and work up.
Young men want to be masters at
the start, and assume to know be-
fore they have learned" And an
other reason in the same line: DE
string the success that another has,
without being willing to work as that
man does. Giving mOney-making a
first place and right-doing a second
place."
Among the causes of failure given
by my correspondents many may be
classified under the general fault of
wavering, such as wagering purpos-
es,' mon. stick-to-it-neSs,' failure to
grasp ond hold,' scattering too
much,' trying to do too many things,
rather than stick to the one thing one
knows most about A young man
spends seven years in a grocery
store. and when he has just learned
the business he concludes to 60 into
dry goods. By failing to choose that
first he has thrown away seven
years experience. Probably, after
learning the dry goods business, he
will conclude to become watch
maker, and at last become Jack
at-alI-trades," good at none, A
prominent merchant says Nearly
all failures in legitimate business
come from not serving an appren-
ticeship to it," that is, from leaving
business one knows for another
which he does not understand.
Another cause Of failure is the dis
position to escape hard work, and
get rich in haste -"desiring the sue
cess another man has, without being
willing to work as that man does,