Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-27

interested In such matters? There is no
other one thing that can, that should
interest the business man so much as
he character of our youth.
Every man engaged in business
should be, must be more than a mere
money getter. Business men as rule
are also fathers and citizens and as
such they are morally responsible Tor
the youth Of the land. AS fathers 1t
is their duty to throw every possible
safeguard around their sons, so as TO
minimize the temptations to which their
boys may be subjected, in order that
they may prove to them a blessing and
worthy to assume inherited RESPONSE
bilities.
"As citizens and lovers of their coun-
try it is the business mems duty 70
safeguard, so far as in his power lies,
other mems sons, in order that TINS
glorious republic, which, after all, rests
merely on the character of its citizen
ship. may be preserved and perpetuated
and so that civil liberty may not perish.
Two Kinds of Selfishness
"Some cynic has reasoned out that
every act of benevolence, every act OF
patriotism, every act of generosity,
every act of philanthropy, is after all
purely selfish and is done because the
doer reaps therefrom some selfish pleas
ure or satisfaction. Granting this to
be true, there still remains the fact
that there is enlightened selfishness
and Enlightened selfishness.
"If, whatever we do we cannot avoid
being selfish let us at least pursue an
enlightened selifshness, a selfishness
which not only brings us pleasure and
satisfaction, but also helps our fellows;
selfishness, which, without hurting
us, is helping others. 1t is this sort OF
enlightened selfishness, the selfishness
which takes joy in bringing joy to 9TH
ers that engages the supporters or ana
workers in the Y. M. c. A.
"They see the allurement held out
by vice to the youth of the city. They
see the desperate temptations to which
young men in large centers are hourly
subjected. They see the haunts of gild-
ed vice managed and controlled by
minds trained in all the skillful arts OF
wickedness, laying traps for the inno-
cent and unwary They see many of
the victims who, because of their years
or their environment, are beyond the
reach of home, the school and the
church, and they feel impelled to reach
out staying, helping hand.
"They do this with trained, scien-
tific mind. They realize that the four
avenues through which to reach the
young HldI are lilc lCdlI thS iiiiiiN' IiiO
body and the soul. And they touch him
on all sides of his nature.
Develops Mental Powers
"If he is ambitious to get on in the
world, they afford him instructions and
help him to develop all of his mental
powers. If he is emotional, they APP
peal to the spiritual side of his nature.
If he seeks amusement and entertain
ments, they furnish him the best, and
purest. If indoor or outdoor sports
appeal to him, these are placed within
his reach, all at a nominal cost and
under the best possible surroundings.
IF youth finds himself poor and
friendless, the Y. M. c. A. extends a
friendly hand and in the spirit of the
Talmud makes him the object of the
highest form of charity by finding en-
ployment for him so that he may need
no charity.
After all, the greatest asset that
any city can have is not its houses or
bonds, its shops or stores. its gold or
silver. The greatest asset that any
city can have is its men. Fill this
city with big-minded, strong minded,
high-minded men and great as has been
it's growth and prosperity, 1t would
sweep everything before 1t and speedily
become not only the greatest city west