The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-16
com,p,trSo,liesrr of


nth which the experienced angler
.icks the fly for his trout hook? The
ice discrimination with which he
hooses between several daintily
aathered baits which, to the ordinary
nsler, would appear to offer to the
by and tickle trout about equal possi-
llitics of temptation? And the more
mid and backward the trout happen
/, be, at that particular place and sea-
on the greater the care with which
he follower of Walton will weigh the
merits of one fly against those of an
;hcr. placing theory and hcarsay
violence on one side and his own per-
onal experience on the other.
All the cunning and discrimination
which tho expert angler throws into
he choice of the feathers which are to
isguisc the hook and tempt the trout,
he clever investment schemer puts
nto the picking of phrases with which
. feather his appeals to the credulity
the small investors of the country,
Angling for trout and fishing for in
cstmeIt suckers" have many points
similarity and the most obvious of
hcso is the art with which the bait
chosen and arIanged. In the one
aso the materials employed are feath-
RS OF varied colors; in the other the
kill of the workman Is demonstrated
2 the cunning with which he handles
,ords and phrases which experience
,soves to be sure in their appeal to
he curiosity, the interest and the
crdul,ty of mon and women who
ave saved a few dollars and wish to
lake them productive.
In all the phraseology of tricky
nance there is no word so over.
,orked as guarantee" And this
leans that experience has proved II
, be highly effective in the hooking
4 suckers" Depend upon 1t that
10 word or phrase achieves marked
popularity in the literature OF the
small investment appeal which has
,ot demonstrated its rare effective
oss as an agency of deception:
II the small investors of this coun
ry could reach anything like fair
knowledge of Just how much and how
title there is in each of these appeal
ng ''catch words In each phrase, the
,laasibility of which has been scien
iacally tested, they would be we'll or
he way towayds being able to protect
themselves against the cleverest and
most convincing OF these appeals
Perhaps the writer can do the public
more service in analyzing few ol
these star phrases" than by any
amount of denunciation of the wild
cat schemes and schemers which de
serve as harsh a Characterization a.
any man can frame. But, to return
to the word guarantee" which ha.
attained first rank in the terminology
of the Investment trickster, there II
scarcely a circular, folder or adver
tisement or any other piece of litera
ture put utby the pot hunters o.
snail savings which does not display
the word guarantee" In big type ant
with reiterated emphasis. II the insti
tution chances to be of a financia
character itself rather than mining
oil or industrial concern, the wore
guarantee" or Its twin, security,
win be found incorporated into thu
name of the company Get list o
100 wildcat Investment scheme,
which are dead beyond hope of resur
rection and 1t is safe prediction tha
aYe.half the names will contain tn,
words guarantee" or security
These two words are as common t.
the eye in the graveyard of fake in
vestment schemes as are those o
Smith. Jones or Brown in any countr,
cemetery; they adorn PRACTICAL,
every other tombstone in the last rest
fng place or defunct financial frauds.
The question of the value OF eithel
OF these words In the title of a cor
poration or concern is disposed OF b,
the statement that there Is no lsga
restriction In the choice Of names O
companies; the organizers are as fire,
to name their fiimsy creation 9TH,
Rock Of Gibraltar Guaranty Securit,
Company" as the parent Is to saddle /
Teak undersizsd male child with tn,
name of Samson. And, as rule
there Is as much license or prophet,
In giving the name of the mighty enc
my uf the Philistines to a stnnted bo.
as there is for applying the nam,
guaranty" or security" to a com
pany which goes out after the saving,
OF the small investor" Why? Be
cause the companies which are reRll,
warranted In making either or tiles,
words . part of their corporate nam,
do not have to so into the highway
md hedges end beat the huuhos fol