The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-03-29
A PUNCTURED BUBBLE
YOUTH JOLTED AWAKE FROM
VISION OF COOPERATION
ON NATIONAL SCALE.

Well, ! won't be of age 10 vote
until a year from this spring, but
when ! am, ! certainly shall vote the
socialist ticket" admitted Leonard
Thompson, promoter of the Leonard
Thompson & Co.. (Not Incorporated
Thompson building, Madison, s. d..
this morning to a Leader reporter.
Mrs. Thompson was sitting on the
straw banking Of the I2x16 new
board house. in the warm sun-pre-
sumably the aforesaid Thompson
building-caTing for two of the
Thompson offspring. After the man
ner Of genius the world over, Mr..
Thompson, dreamer in terms of mil
lions. was relaxing from the strain Of
gigantic financial problems by apply
ing himself TO the humble duty Of
boring a post hole.
Fired by the inflammatory litera-
ture of men who know that the only
way to sell their product Is to make
their literature lurid. Thompson
dreams Of philanthropy on a gigantic
scale. A working man himself. he
has the sympathies and prejudices OF
his class. Exalted by the urging Of
fanatics, brought TO a realization of
costs by the present initiation Of all
stuffs used by men, rich or poor. his
dreams took the signifance of visions.
and he set out to realize them both
His inexperience is shown in that
he declared that he would do what
Rockefeller found impossible He
would incorporate under federal laws.
while it is only possible for any or
ganiZation TO do so under laws Of
states. His reason was hat it would
enable the gigantic organization 10
reach far beyond the narrow confines
of states. and embrace a whole
try TO alleviate the poor mans bur
den of costs.
Five million dollars is the modest
sum he would have promised before
beginning operations. OF this his
prospectus announces that he has
$40. 900 promised in labor and $25,-
600 promised in cash. No cash has
been actually paid in, he said this
morning-Which is fortunate for
both parties to the contracts. Goods
by the train load, stored in a building
covering a block or more, wages Of
40 cents an hour. jobs-when your
turns among 5000. 600 pos
! slble shareholders are some OF the
benefits promised.
Goods are to be furnished share
holders for the first year at ] per
cent above the factory price, this to
be used i'm paying the salary Of the
manager. Dividends are to be de-
clared from this. for he says that
shares bought now will make the
shareholder immensely rich in "A few
years-how is not said. In one mat
ter he shows remarkable fore
thought. He wants il specifically
understood that he il 10 be the man
ager.
Mr.. Thompson said this morning
that he had suspended operations for
the time being. No money has come
into his possession, and some objec-
ton TO the plan was made until he
could get opinions from those in au-
thority. So he will await until the
gods are propitiated before begin
ming again on active operation and
advertising. He had fifteen dailies
on his list in which he was adyertis-
ing. and has ordered them to a
the publication of the scheme. He
has received inquiries from every
state in the union. and takes il as
having aroused interest.
But the inflexible man Of the
world steps in as a william on the
stage and d~issipates youths fond
dream. In il they see a menace.
Not the menace the youthful promot-
or will undoubtedly attribute 10
/ ut. n4auganonrn hat the H4anupR
TO himself through his inviting use
Of the mails. Not the fraud he might
perpetrate on the public, inviting
ly and Internationally. but solely
through his trustfulness and unfa-
miliarity with handling a business
proposition. For, without capital,
name or backing he must raise every
dollar through the mails, and Uncle
Samuel looks with jealous eye upon
any attempt TO get money that way,
and unless the ambitious Acquisition
can show something with which TO
hedge and protect the guileless in
weston. he objects CURLY. and with
out any explanation. So, for the
time being, until an appeal sent TO
the postmaster general is answered,
matters rest in a state OF balance,
and nothing will be done 10 alleviate
the crushing load of high prices for
the laboring poor.
If things do not head the right
way soon, he says, he will turn the
whole scheme over TO the secretary
of the socialist organization at Chi
cago. They have made Inquiries
about Il, he says, and pronounce the
idea both commendable and prac-
ticable.