The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-02-28

gent men working for salaries or for
wages are investing their savings in
the stocks OF wildcat companies
against the advice OF friends compe-
tent to advise them and In the face
Of their own better Judgment?
The obvious answer is: Because
they expect TO profit greatly by the in
yestment-to get rich quick, as the
common saying puts it, This is only
half the answer. and the other half
often the more powertul--is seldom
brought out.
1t al be stated In one small word
Vanity.
This is not nattering 10 the invest
ors who have dotled the sober counsel
Of experienced men Of affairs and who
have Stihed their own natural fore
bodings and sense OF caution. but the
fact remains that vanity has. In hun,
dreds of thousands OF cases, been the
one factor which has turned the tables
against reason, Judgment and good
counsel and emptied the pockets OF
the wage Garner and the salary worker
irto the Golfers of the fake investment
shark.
This trait OF human nature does not
occur to the general public Of honest
t~oilers, but the study of human ma
ture Is the everyday business of the
the workers; like the surgeon making
a thorough physical examination OF n
patient, pressing every part Of the
body to locate the weak spots, so the
investment schemer applies all his
cunning to the discovery Of the weak
spots in the sort OF human nature
with which he has TO deal, Aud he
has come to understand that there il
no weakness more common among
the men who have TO work hard for
comparatively small returns than the
trait of wishing to have a part in the
management Of the affairs Of business
and, more particularly. to ha looked
upon by their fellows and associates
as a man OF affairs. with personal In
terests and personal influence In bust
ness councils. an administrator In the
Internal affairs Of an Industrial or
financial organization,
The desire-cOnscious or uncon.
scious-of the small investor to be
able incidentally to remark to his fel.
lows: I'm interested In the Solid
Rock Investment company" or I've
got to lay OF tomorrow to attend the
stockholders meeting OF the Sure
nough Securities corporation, In which
I'm interested has landed quite az
many fairly ~hard.headed men of small
means In the net of the investment
schemes as has the simple desire Il
make money without work or this
am thoroughly convinced. although tht
two appeals always go hand In hand.
When the bait thrown out Is equally
attractive to the cupidity and the van
ity OF human nature the catch Ia al
most certain-and the clearncss will
which the latter human weakness II
understood by the sharpers who III
In wait for the surplus savings
OF those who do the worlds han,
work, Is evidenced by the fac
that the literature sent out to lur,
the nnwary Is fun of phrases like this
why not become an associate o
men who are doing things? We wan
your influence in your community
The men who are In this enterprIsr
are known In the business world AM
they desire cooperation OF others VIII,
are capable Of broad and Independent
Judgment, OF men like yourself VIII
can see beyond the rim OF n silver do
lar and appreciate large opportunities
men OF constructive abilities who ar
ready to take a hand In the develop
ment OF one of the greatest enter
DrIses Of the present day, Your I'D
vice, Influence aud cooperation ar
more valuable to us than your money.
When this appeal is put to u ma
who has always worked under Others
who has never been consulted by
business man, whose opinions on bus
ness matters have never been aske
by any person outside his own famil
&. circle. the temptation to a new an
delightful feeling Of self.importance
: almost inevitable. There is not
} clerk bending over a desk or a cour
? ter, a mechanic working at his lath
or bench, or a laborer toillng In stree
or field who has not at times felt tina
/ he has had ideas about some featur
, OF business worth considering, VIII
t has not harbored a secret longing [
: have a place and standing among III
! men who pull the wires which NOV
the machinery OF business. When sue
a mainland his kind Is legion--r'
ceives one Of these artful and insinl
atIng appeals to his vanity he Is rar'
" poised and gifted with commo
sense above his fellows If he does NJ
, feel that at last he has come into HI
own: that his abilities have final
), been appreciated and that the strai
Q ger In the business world has unde
stood him better than his associate
= his %neighbors, his familiar friends an
4 those under whom he works. The fla
: terry Of this appeal outweIghs its sho
n low RI vines and its obvious and clea
insincerIty. But the real cunning
this attack upon his vanity Is the fa'
that II appeals to his 'independei
$ Judgment" and classes him among II
men who see things shrewdly and
q a big way and who o timidity.
\ he listens to this argument-~and ge
!. orally he does-he feels a new sens
OF self.importance and Of independent
q and a corresponding Discrimination
o listen to the advice Of those who's
/. familiarity with business and finant
4 a.u4Id aunhln him tn afanr Glaar of III