The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-11-28
November Meeting Held at the Home of the
President, Alfred Kirk.
ADDRESS BY PROF. w. c.. STEVENSON.
1.-THE VALUE OF ACCOUNTING TO
THE FARMER AND HIS FAMILY"

From the first text, we observe the fun
damental element of success to be dill
gence. The more modern term emanating
from the President of the U. S., is "stren-
uousness. How true the promise. che shall
stand before kings" as exemplified by
the recent visit of Napoleon Morgan to
Europe. THAT he shall not stand before
mean men" but above them, in degree
removed from them, would be my expla-
nation of the last clause of the text in its
application to the successful man in any
department ofhumau affairs
The second text "Deliver all things in
number and weight and put all in writing
that thou givest out and receivest in"-is
an unmistakable and mandatory injunc-
tion to do certain thing, and that thing
to be done in a certain way. No clearer
exposition of the principles of debit and
credit could possible have been given,
and no one can so construe the language
as to find All excuse for failing to obey
what is so distinctly and clearly conf
manded "Deliver all things in number
and weight" is a statement of the funda-
mental principles of business, and implies
the exercise of those virtues Of justice, ac-
curacy, and completeness which charac-
terize the upright business man. "Put
all in writing that thou givest ont and re-
ceivest in,''-is only the ancient express
sion of the modern principle of double
entry bookkeeping. Debit the incom-
ing and credit the outgoing value"
This ought to be sufficient evidence Of the
divine origin of accounting, science
which governs the thrones of commercial
empires, and guides the financial affairs
of the world. Teaching the mutual de-
pendence of men and the complexity of
human relations, demanding accuracy,
method and the whole truth, the science
of accounting viewed in the light of its
educational value alone, compares favor
ably with those ologies, the textbooks of
which used ten years ago are now out-of-
date, and yet which are stuffed with such
infinite pains into the fat heads of half
f1edged ephemera who leave the great
owleries of our land to fatten on pastures
green if they can find them but doing
little to make known the gulf that sepa-
rates Dives and Lazarus or ameliorate the
poverty of their fellow men. Keeping a
systematic record of ones own business,
gives not only chart and compass that
will guide TO the desired haven, but the
very act is highly disciplinary, and pro-
motive of business morality.
Without "the wisdom of business" as
Bacon calls it, splendid abilities and vast
attaiuments, are comparatively vaueless.
Unfedged Milton's and incipient New
tons, who enter into any line of business,
drag out precarious existence because
of their ignorance of the methods and de-
tails of practical business life, unless,
perchance they find stall in the closters
of scholasticism where like the fatted OK
they may be safe from the crack of the
ploughman's whip.
Systematic bookkeeping for the farmer,
and especially for the farmers son as he
grows to manhood would inculcate habits
of industry, perseverance, system
thoroughness; teach lessons of thrift, and
economy; furnish most valuable record
of facts for future reference; and give
protection from the inroads of greater or
less degree that destroy character aud
manhood, among which may be mention.
ed, hap-hazard way of doing every
thing, no fixed time to do particular
things, lack of system and regularity,
living in the present with no thought of
the future, spendthrift habits and the
multitudinous temptations and vices re.
sulting the-efrom, and which eventually
end in bankrupting financially and
morally any young man who acquires
such habits.
Horace Greeley in lecture once said,
81 venture to say that young man who
has commenced to charge himself with
foolish expenditures will soon be charg-
ing himself with wasted hours, with
neglected opportunities, and will soon be
resolving on wholesome retrenchment
and reform. And lay it down as gen.
eral rule that any young man who at the
close of his first year of responsible inde.
pendent life, has saved something and
knows where to find it, will go on to com.
petence; whereas the young man who al
the close of his first year has saved moth
ing, who has made himself no better of
financially, will almost certainly die a
poor man and be buried at the public
cost"
There is certainty in the results showr
by a carefully kept set of books in any
line of business which promotes selfreli
ance. The books are not visionary. They
show the results of the past and the pres
ent and point the way to the future. W.
have too many men who seem afraid tt
take hold of things by the handles. The,
iare excessively timid, and devoid of origi