The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1891-02-21
WHY THEY FAILED.
The Chicago Tribune Enumerates Some
OF the Leading Causes.

OF the Leading causes,
The Chic 90 Tribune has been
having what il calls symposium
Of failuies-that is, of people who
are poor ami miserable. They give
in the Trihude their reasons for
their non-succcss in life. The let
ters are interesting, but the result
is not all TO the taste of the editor.
who ihereupon proceeds to lecture
the miserables on his own account
lie is struck with the disingenu-
business of the failures. They are
disposed to blame somebody else
for the fact that they have not cot
on well in life. The 'honest and
since 9 repo ts' are the exception
The Tribune's definition of fail
ule is person who, nc the close Of
lite's journey, finds himself worse
OIL tlian he was when he began
who has not advanced at least a
little beyond the achievement of
his father; who has "a I'D to make
decent aud comfortable living.
aud to leave something for those
dependent on him. In such case,
unless he has been debarred by
sickness OF something moro than
the hindrances that beset ordinary
men, he is failure 10 the extent
that he falls below the average of
his fellows.
The Tribune enumerat,s thu
causes of failures which the mis-
erables do not confess to. Drink Is
the most prolific. Then comes the
desire to get rich by short cuts
and without hard work. Some Of
the hardest working men ia
America to-day are among the
milionaires. Sickness is another
cause of failure. But there is one
cause having more influence than
all the rest probab'y-that is want
OF pluck. 1t is the one who cannot
be downed that succeeds at last.
Fate may make a football Of him
for fifty years, but he will vet
come out right side up aud make
his fortune. fpaople only under
stood the magic power there is III
holding on and never giving NJ
there would be more rich men and
women in the world by far than
there arc to-day. If one plan is not
successful it simply shows this was
not the right way, not that the
man who failed to make il work
has exhausted his powers. TO the
man or woman with any sense it
shows anything bnt that. The
Tribune editor writes:
"The want of economy is a
prolific cause of failure-that is,
the prudent saving Of money aud
its juGicious investment. There
is no sur road to compe ence
than that Of living within ones IN
come, saving portion Of it, and |
placing il where it viii increase by /
slow and sure growth. There is 10 (
suler road TO Incompetence than
living beyond ones income and
hoping to escape by a streak Of
luck or the happening of the uu
Another frequent cause of fail
ure is the lack OF the ability to ro-
cognize the real opportunities and
promptly improve them. In homely
phrase, if one's foresight we're as
clear as ones hindsight, there
would be fewer failures. This,
however, ls not a feprehenslble
cause as foresight of this kind is a
special gift, aud sometimes an in
tuitive talent Not every one can
have il.
"These are the principal reasons
for failure in life, and Of these un-
doubtedly drink, gambling, specu-
Iation, fast living and the iniatua-
tion TO get rich by some grand
stroke are the most comm.n. We
do not observe, however, that
those who have failed are, as a
rule, honest enough to make this
acknowledgement eady
to assign any re-
DDes. They
w.. RI