The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-03
darStnnd hv sthrtft.

derstood by thrift
"As the years have passed and
have learned more of the world, !
find no disposition to change the
ideals of that home. have since
observed much Of what wealth can
give but as / compare it with the IN
heritance of that homo have no
love for mere money. Stinginess,
meanness. parsimony are growing
more and MGR to seem as hateful
to me as they ID TO my father The
riches / envy most are those which
he had.
But my prejudice against thrift
is gone. Like many good IDEAS IL
has been prostitued. Thrift Is not
stInginess nor selfishness AT bot
tom the idea OF thrift is, first. a just
estimate Of the value OF our resources,
and second. the scientific expenditure
OF those resources at the time and
place and in the manner which will
bring the greatest returns. All OF life
is a stewardship. We have much
committed to us. To be a wise stew
ard, we must have a just valuation OF
what is committed to us, and must
wisely expend 1t. Thrift means high
strategy in the use OF the forces
which are given us. A regiment in
the hands of Stonewall Jackson was
an army in the hands Of most men.
He did not hesitate to lose men
at times with seeming recllessness;
but that recklessness was only seem
ing He had counted the cost. He
had chosen the time and place. and
if he suffered, his enemies suffered
more.
Thrift means having purpose
and disciplining all the powers or
soul to accomplish that purpose.
Thrift is the antithesis of drift. Thus
the spirit Of thrift needs to be ap-
piled not only to the gaining and
spending Of money but to all Of the
resources at our disposal. A man
has many other precious things be-
sides money-some much more prec-
ious' than money.
I'VE need to apply the spirit of
thrift to our time. I know two men
who might almost be called misers or
time. A minute to them Is more
precious than hours to most men
and than days are to some. They
impress you as having a hunger for
time. They use 1t with greatness,
crowding events into days that others
would put into weeks. They plan
months ahead and the day is mapped
out down to the very moments. The
interstices of time that are wasted
by others are picked UP by them with
sedulous care These men are mil
lionaires Of deeds: they are princes
of accomplishment. Their influence
Is being fe!t around he world.
Every young man should apply
the spirit Of thrift Of building up
confidence. If men believe III you,
you can do wonders. II they do not,
matchless powers are comparative
ly useless. You need to establish
confidence in your honesty, in your
good judgment, in your loyalty. in
your unselfishness. IN all OF those
elemental and fundamental traits OF
character which make a man trust
worthy "A man who has established
such. confidence has laid up an i'm
mense reserve force and many vic
tories come to him without turn of
the hand. II every young man could
realize the nestimable wealth in this
one thing. he would fear duplicity
dishonesty and any stain upon his
honor as he feared hell.
Modern psychology is beginning
to make it clear what wealth there
is in our habits, and the days of
youth are pre-eminently the days in
which to lay the foundations of this
fortune.
Nowhere does the spirit of thrift