St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-07
Can a Young Man Success
fully Carry Religion Into
His Work?
st. Paul Business Men Say 1t
Is No Bar to Success
in Life.
They Also Lay Down General
Rules for Young Mems
Guidance.
Rev. S. G. Smith Sums Up the
Letters Contents in a
Sermon.

Always planning to interest his con
gregation in particular and the puollc
in general. Rev. S. c. Smith, OF the
Peoples church, often touches the
popular pulse to determine the sentl-
ment of the public Whether or not the
regime of a Christian life interrupts
the prosperity and interferes with the
prospects of the business man has long
been a mooted question that has excited
widespread interest. Recently Dr.
Smith sent the following circular letter
to a large humber of the more prosper
GUS business and professional men Of
the city. lie selected gentlemen who
have achieved success in divers walks,
and the better to learn the temper of the
secular mind as we'll as the opinions OF
the profeSsed Christian. Many were
directed to business and professional
men who are not known to be actively
identified with any church. The circu-
lar reads:
ST. PAUL. Mimi, Peoples Church, Feb. Il,
92-My Dear Sir: l am DESTROYS OF collect
ing the opinions of some OF our leading Dust
ness men with respect TO the two questions
pronounced below. | wish to use the an
swers for what, hope, will prove valuable
public service:
First-Can a young man hope to succeed
In business and at the same time lead prac-
teal Christian Ilfe2
Second-What in your judgment, are the
most necessary qualifications and habits FOR
a young man to achieve success in business?
An early answer will be a great favor TO,
yours faithfully, D u SMITH
The replies that were received they
are appended-Were read at last even
ing'S services, and DR.. Smith supple
mented the reading with an exceedingly
interesting sermon upon the theme dis
cusSed in the letters. He said there
can be no doubt that these letters Will
prove of great general interest, and
he pronounced it remarkable cOllec-
ton, indted by remarkable collection
of men, and the more one thinks OF
these letters the more remarkable do
they seem indeed. He had not selected
the men because they were Christian
men, but because of their business
capacities and their successes, and Tor
the respect they challenge from their
fellow men. What the doctor conSld-
cred noteworthy was the fact that only
two or three throw any doubt upon the
probabilities of business success by
Christians. The common theory of
success in business life is to
purchase in the cheapest market and
to sell in the dearest, and in this con-
nectiou the eloquent preacher drew a
picture contrasting Thomas A. Edison
with the present vendee. Mr.. Edison is
said to be worth $2,000000 or 5000, 900,
but the doctor suggested that, had he as
much business sense as certain other
sense. he should have been worth at
least $40, 900, 900, because he has earned
IL to the world. The present vendee
buys in the cheapest market, and sells in
the dearest, but he can never accumu-
late over 1915. 1t depends upon the
breadth of the man. The doctor took
Issue with the argument that the rec
Ommendaton of the church aVailS moth
Ing to the young man in quest of en-
pIoyment, and he declared that he posi-
lively knew to the contrary. He is
closely acquainted with great many of
st. PauI's leading business men, and he
knew that a great many of them would
much prefer the young man who is con-
Hected with the church than the young
Man of the world