Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-12-10

speaker said that a large portion
of the young men in this country
who started out in business tailed.
Chauncey.M. Depew said that only
two out of one hundred succeeded.
But the ambition of every young
man should be to be one of the two
who succeed. Each man ls the
architect of his own fortune and it
is possible for him to succeed if
he will.
"What is SUGGEST Is it wealth.
Is it fame? Is it learning? AS
suredly not any or all of these
alone. Success lies in the highest
development of our powers
physical, mental, moral. In this
will be found the consummation of
mans destiny-the fulfillment of
his mis sion."
Mr.. Stephens then endeavored
to impress upon the minds of his
audieL ce that the resources of hap
piness We're within each individual
that pleasure must be obtained
from within and not from without.
He then took up the line of thought
that this is a business mans age;
that commerce is king; that the
qualities essential to the legitimate
accumulation of property were
those involved in the develope-
ment of character.
Financial sense is the best of
all kinds of sense. A man without
it Is more or less a failure. l do
not mean to say that every man is
failure who does not accumulate
property, but I do say that the
qualities necessary to business
prosperity are essential to the
achievement of success in any
other department of effort. Busi-
ness sense is common sense, and
man without common sense in
any sphere is failure. Business
sense is not necessarily directed to
making money"
Among the elements of success
Mr.. Stephens named as the first,
adaptation. He was of the opin-
ion that every man was good for
something; that every man should
fill that for which he was the bes,
fitted. So many men fail as law
yers who would make good car
penters. Many a good farmer is
spoiled to make poor doctor. He
also insisted that one of the most
important steps toward success was
preparation. Too many men
started out very poorly qualified
and only half equipped for their
chosen calling. No wonder they
fail. He then dwelt on the ad-
vantages offered young men in this
day and generation, especially the
privileges enjoyed by the students
Of the Missouri Military Academy.
Mr.. Stephens also thought that the
cultivation of memory was one of
the necessary elements of success
He also advised young men to
practice the habit of public speak
ing; that no matter what vocation
in life they may fill, the ability to
express their views in public
would be of great value to them.
Thoroughness was also referred to
as one ofthe elements of success.
The lecturer said that "whatever
was worth doing at all was worth
doing we'll"
The speaker then dwelt at length
on the question of character, view
ed not from a preachers stand
polut, but from a business mans
standpoint. In reference to this
matter he said i: You are build.
ing character right nowhere in
the school room, among your fel.
lows, every day and every hour,
in seemingly small and trivial acts,
and a defect or blemish upon it
here is never repaired. One of
the truest maxims uttered is that
conduct makes character and
character makes destiny 'YouIs
man, keep your record -clean,"
were the dying words of John B.
Cough, and be never said wiser
or truer thing In all the days that
he lived. Having selected you.
vocation and prepared yourself
for it, remember that the founda-
ton of all true success ia q good
character Whatever scoffers or
cynics may tell you the fact lie
nevertheless that integrity lies at
the bssis Of all success. The rich.
est Of all possessions is character. y
Mr.. Stephens then talked upon
habits of life, good and bad, and
showed plainly that q man of bad
habits was in q poor condition to
fight the battles Of life. He said: |
"The greateat evil of this day is |
intemperanoe. It is blasting more |
prosperity, wrecking more lives,
impoverishing more homes, caus. |