The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1908-03-12
TURNING VANITY INTO MONEY
By JOHN X. THOMPSON,
Treasurer Cook County, Illinois

w.
Why is it that thousands OF intelli-
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
vestment-to get rich quick" as the
common saying puts it. This is only
half the answer, and the other half
often the more powerful-is seldom
brought out.
1t can be stated in one small word
Vanity.
This is not flattering to the invest
ors who have defled the sober counsel
of experienced men of affairs and who
have stifled 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
AhtO tHC SouClS VI Iut lane INV StulCut
shark.
This trait OF human nature does not
occur to the general public of honest
toilers, but the study Of human ma
ture is the everyday business of the
man who is out after the savings of
the workers: like the surgeon making
a thorough physical examination of a
patient, pressing every part Of the
body to locate the weak spots. 80 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. And he
has come to understand that there Is
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 be 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 OF
financial organization.
The desire-conscious or uncon
scious-of the small investor 10 be
able incidentally to remark to his fel
lows: I'm interested in the Solid
Rock Investment aaniDany,",-.oE Live
GOT TO lay off tomorrow to attend the
stockholders meeting of the Sure
nough Securities corporation, in which
I'm interested" has landed quite as
many fairly hard-headed men of small
means In the net of the investment
schemes as has the simple desire to
make money without work. OF this
am thoroughly convinced, although The
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 is al
most certain-and the clearncss will
which the latter human weakness i
understood by the sharpers who Ii
in wait for the surplus saving
of those who do tae worlds han
work, is evidenced by the fac
that the literature sent out to lur
the unwary is full of phrases like this
"Why not become an associate O
men who are doing things? We wan
your influence in your communit,
The men who are in this enterpris
are known in the business world an
they desire cooperation of others VIII
are capable of broad and independer
judgment of men like yourself VIII
can see beyond the rim of 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 ente
prises OF the present day. Your al
: vice, influence and cooperation ar
more valuable to us than your money
When this appeal Is put to a ma
who has always worked under other
who has never been consulted by
business man, whose opinions on bus
ness matters have never been aske
by any person outside his own fami
circle, the temptation to a new an
delightful feeling OF self-impcrtance
almost inevitable. There is not
clerk bending over a desk or a cou
ter mechanic working at his latf
or bench, or a laborer toiling in stree
or field who has not at times felt tn,
he has had ideas about some featul
of business worth considering, wi
has not harbored a secret longing
have place and standing among Il
men who pull the wires which mo'
the machinery of business. When SUE
a man-and his kind Is LEGION
ceives one of these artful and insin
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