The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-01-10

generosity and a heartier Godspeed. The
fact that everything it undertakes is
practical in character and yet always
mindful of the higher and better things
of life, must appeal to every man of af-
fairs, who can and will appreciate the
need of such an agency in Chicago's bus.
mess life. Its fostering care makes bet
ter clerks in stores, better laborers in
great factories, better employees in great
railway systems. No young man comes
within the circle of its endeavors with
out having a higher regard for the truth,
a better understanding of the need of
faithfulness in service to his employer
and a more watchful care of every in
terest entrusted to his keeping. 1t makes
for those qualities of a Christian man
hood, which eliminate cant and hypoc-
risy. 1t points the way to a manhood
of generous regard towards the misfor-
tunes of others and a willingness to aid
in every good work.
GOOD GOVERNMENT AND GOOD MEN.
l know something of the needs of the
public service and / know something of
the needs of the world of business af-
fairs. The quality of manhod demanded
for both is essentially the same. In a
country wholly democratic in every fea-
ture, men of integrity, of character, sim
certify of purpose and purity of individ-
ual lives are a prerequisite to stability in
government and commerce. There can
not be anywhere good government with
out good men, neither can there be hon
estv in business undertakings without
honest men. The criticism which can
justly be passed upon our men of affairs
Is a too frequent indifference on their
part to the fact that good honest men
do not come into such an estate without
being in early life surrounded, guarded
and drilled in the things conducive to
goodness and honesty. / believe in the
doctrine, rightly interpreted and under
stood, that each man is "his brothers
keeper would apply it with especial
force to every employer of men in a city
wherein are gathered the foyees of evil.
making the first temptation "a attractive
as the last is repulsive. He is "his
brothers keeper" and the denial of the
fact finds in more than one instance
fruition in disaster to the employer and
disgrace to the employee. The keenest
business sense recognizes such conditions
and when conversant with the objects of
such an organization as the Young
Mems Christian Association, grants to it,
upon the theory of self-protection i n
many instances, if you please, a generous
support.
A BLUNDER WORSE THAN A CRIME.
The greatest business houses, the larg-
est employers of labor, the best system
atized railway corporations have seen the
direct benefits of interesting themselves
in the things which affect their men
outside their hours of labor. They know
that a Doctor Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde"
character in any employee is not compat-
ible with good service, that a night of
debauchery and lowered self-respect does
not yield a day of faithful employment
and high minded ambitions, and knowing
this, it would be "a blunder worse than
a crime" to deny aid to those who are
willing to do the work of lessening the
city's evils by providing places of clean
resort and environments, which bespeak
Christian virtues and manly sentiments.
Thew must be interested in their en-
ployes beyond the mere service OF them
to themselves. or that srvice will be
faulty and unfair.
IMPROVEMENT BETTERMENT FUND.
The appeal which the Young Mems
Christian Association from time to time
makes to the business men of Chicago is
not and ought not to be regarded as an
appeal for charity. 1t is instead the ask
ing for an expenditure on the part of
those to whom the request Is addressed
as legitimate to the furtherance of their
business enterprises as that which is in
CURED for police and FIRE insurance or
any other outlay which has regard for
the protection and preservation of their
property interests. 1t is as essentially le-
gitimate and yields as much return as the
very money paid to the employee himself.
OF Necessity it must be made to make OF
best effect such payment. In short it is a
sum which ought to be set apart each
year as an Improvement and bettermenI
fund.-" and the man who fails to give
heed to the call of the Association after
once being made acquainted with it:
merit, makes so grave an error as to
reflect upon the soundness of his bust
ness judgment.
l wish to urge with all the force l car
command this view of the whole ques,
ton of what interest shall be taken by
the business men of Chicago in the
young mems Christian Association o.
this city. The interest taken, the encour'
ment given, the money contributed for
the making more widespread its WORT
is a benefit to themselves through aiding
those with whom so much of their wei
fare is associated. I beg of them thai
they will investigate and see and know
what has been done in the past, what j:
being done in the present and what !:
proposed to be done in the future by thi:
Association for the keeping within tn,
paths of rectitude the thousands o
young men who must leeds have som'