The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-19
YOUNG men WHO TRY
TO WIN DON'T DRINK
j. ID. Rockefeller. Jr.. breaches
Temperance and Clean Liv-
ing to Bible Class.
DO THE SMALL TASKS WELL.
viii More Ncedful Than Abil-
ity. He Says-IIas Cure
for Social Evil.


world don't drink nowadays" said John
u. Rockefeller. Jr.. to the Bible class OF
The Fifth Avenue Baptist Church yes
terday. Great corporations do not en-
ploy men who drink"
Mr.. Rockefeller told the members of
the class that his grandfather and his
father never touched intoxicating liquor
and were total abstainers as n matter of
principle. and that he himself had fol-
lowed their example.
His advice and suggestions as to clean
living and as TO what every young man
can do toward mitigating the social evil
were heard with keen interest by 200
members of the class
Mr.. Rockefeller conducts the Bible class
only occasionally. After his address yes
terday. which was on the subject. Setting
Iife's Standards" he was urged to lead
the class more often.
ITO quote the words Of another" said
Mr. Rockefeller. "let me remind you that
success consists of doing the common
things of life uuCommonly well There
IL one thing more needful TO this Sue
cess than ability. That IL VIII
DO smnII Tasks We'll.
III man ~ unWlllUR 10 SIilsiii
tasks and do them well he ought not be
permitted TO do big tasks. and II he 10
permitted mistakenly he IL most certain
to fail. The power of application Is es-
sential In all standards
Mr. Rockefeller believed that rich men
should feel that their money is not theirs
TO use for their own pleasure. but for the
public and private good OF others.
Those who have lots OF money have
however no more reason to feel this way"
he said. than those who have small for
tunes or only little money. save ir
| relative measure. 1t IL important that the
man who can give a dollar should realize
his obligation to give the same as the
man or woman who can give million
The way to get a start in the world. in
his notion, is to jump In somewhere and
do the best you can.
Christ recognized that men were pos
sessed Of differing talents" said Mr..
Rockefeller. MANY n man does not seem
to have discovered his one talent. The
thing to do Is to jump in somewhere, even
II the opening be not promising.
perhaps the very thing you think you
cannot do Is the one thing you can do
| best All sorts OF people came TO see
Jesus and lie gave no lesson more forcibly
than the one that a man Is TO be judged
, by what he does with the talents ne has"
His mention OF his father and grand
| father as total absta!ners was part OF
| his remarks on temperance.
Temperance In Work.
"ln these strenuous New York and
| American days" said Mr.. Rockefeller.
when there IL so much to do and so
much to lie gained nv doing. many men
work too hard. They ought 10 be tenn
perate in work. II pays. More VIII be
| accomplished In the long run.
"In the old days when a salesman ap-
piled for a job he was often asked TO take
| a drink OF whiskey, and incidentally he
was tested to see how much he could
drink and still hold his wits. Usually
the man who could drink most got the Job.
| Vow all that is changed. Great cor
| porations will not employ men who drink.
| and their emphasis .s on total abstinence.
| | am told that IN Germany. whore beer
drinking is supposed to be prevalent coll
| lege professors and even students are
quitting the drink habit on the ground
1 that tn. mind is hefogged by drink
| II think there is less social drinking In
| New York than formerly Yet ] learn
that N the country as a whole the con-
| sumption OF strong drink increases. This
| leads me TO fear that prohibition does not
| always prohibit. Strong drink causes more
crime and poverty than all the other
! causes combined"
| Mr.. Rockefeller talked al considerable
length on the subject of the social evil
and on the. necessity for personal purity.
| lie aid crnphatically that there can he no
such thing az u double standard of morals,
ON. standard for men. quite another for
women. lie secuted the notion that young
men must SOW Wild oats
No Need to Test Fire.
| at is not worth WHILE said Mr..
Rockefeller. Ito scar the body in order to
| teach the mind. II is NOT needful for
! children to put their hands In the fire
! in order to know that fire burns If the
| Bible classes Of this city. the mems clubs
and the y. NJ. C. a. were to stand to-
geth"r for personal purity, would prac-
tise it and proclaim that they would have
nothing 10 do with men who do not try
to lead clean lives--who would not try.
| | say--they would go a long way toward
| solN ing the problem Of the social evil in
| N.N York and IT all American young
| men IN all of these organizations Were to
| do the same they would go a long way
| toward solving the social evil problem OF
! all American cities.
"W" need In this country the kind Of
chvalry that the knights of old displayed
! IN their best days. American young men
are in great need OF chivalry. IL they
would treat all women as they treat their
mothers and sisters a very great deal
| would he accomplished"
Mr. Rockcfcller's advice on friendship
was:
I'm earlier times. when people had little
more Ia read than the Bible, the dictionary
| and an almanac, they perused all dill
gently and gained much" said Mr. Rookie
| Teller Now there are so many books that
| none is made much use OF, Similarly, a
man ought to have many acquaintance
| perhaps. hut only a few well chosen
! friends and these should he cherished MI
| retained
At the close OF his address MIR Rookie
! fcllor distributed pamphlets dealing with
the social evil and containing the opinions
Of New York physicians.