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continued its boom upswing.
"Before the end of 1920, Roger Babson's predicted depression
did strike -- with sudden and intense fury. By January, 1921, we
had reached and passed its lowest ebb.
"At this time Roger Babson once again was the guest speaker
in the Morrison Hotel Cameo Room Association of Commerce luncheon.
"'Well, gentlemen,' he said, 'you will remember that a year
ago I warned you that within one year we would be in the throes of
the worst depression our generation has ever seen. I noticed many
of you smiling unbelievingly then. Well, that year has rolled
around, and here I am again, and here is the depression with me.'
"Chicago business leaders were not smiling now. Mr. Babson
then proceeded to explain why he knew what was coming and business
executives did not.
"'It is now mid-winter,' he said. 'If I want to know what
the temperature is, now, in this room, I go to the wall and look
at the thermometer. If I want to know what it has been, up to now,
and the existing trend as of the moment, I look at a recording
thermometer. But if I want to know what the temperature in this
room is going to be, an hour from now, I go to the source which
determines future temperatures -- I go down to the boiler-room and
see what is happening down there.
"'You gentlemen looked at bank clearings, indexes of
business activity, freight car loadings, stock market quotations --
you looked at the thermometers on the wall; I looked at THE WAY
people as a whole were dealing with one another. I looked to
the SOURCE which determines future conditions. I have found that
that source may be defined in terms of RIGHTEOUSNESS. When 51% or
more of the whole people are reasonably righteous in their dealings
with one another, we are heading into increasing prosperity. When
51% of the people become unrighteous in their business dealings
with their fellows, then we are headed for BAD TIMES ECONOMICALLY.!
"I have never forgotten Mr. Babson's explanation. I hope
my readers today, nearly 42 years later, may remember and profit
by it, too.
"I paid with the loss of my business to learn the lesson'"
And, Brethren in God's Church, that same principle applies
in GOD'S WORK! When 51% of us become a little lax -- letting down
quite a little in PRAYER and beginning to neglect personal Bible
reading and study, and to let our interests drift more into the
material pursuits and pleasures, think more of material possessions
for ourselves then THE WORK OF GOD BEGINS TO SUFFER.
Then it is that the income for the Work begins to slack off.
This very thing did set in about four years ago!
BUT -- here's the silver lining to that cloud! When at