The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-12-04

are making of SO simple
while absolutely necessary-a func-
ton as eating. We have had tabu-
lated accounts to show us how much
more it costs to get butter, eggs,
beefsteak, and the other etceteras of
the table, and if there is likelihood
of a shortage Of turkey and chicken,
when the special days Of those tooth
some things come round, the news
papers throw fits Of ink and Mysteries,
and one wonders some one doesn't
cite the Constitution to prove that,
all men being free and equal, some
thing awful ought to happen when
any and all are deprived of turkey
and chicken.
When we elect, appoint or simply
choose a man or woman for any
signal honor or Office-We have a big
spread, and the "big eats" take up a
lot Of time and a lot of money, as
fitting celebration of the event.
When we have a christening party,
or birthday party, or after a fune-
ral-a gathering-we have to eat.
If We have visitors whom we want
to honor: we provide a spread" for
them.
When we want to show the poor
and the afflicted, the criminal and
the sick how sorry we are for them,
We worry a lot of people for dona-
lions, and We feed the helpless ones.
If any of our Boards and Commit
tees have to decide when it will be
best to take another junket at the
expense of the Government, they
have a little snack OIL something at
about ten dollars plate, to help
them decide the great problem.
When We had the Panama Canal
to dig, we began operations with a
feast, and it is to be supposed an
other will mark it's close.
We open, and close, all our expo
sitions, with feasts.
And with one eye on the doctors
bill and the other on the bill-of-fare,
is it any wonder that we read every
day of prominent officials and lead
ing lights in many departments, go
ing suddenly out of this vale of pep
sin, via "actute indigestion?"
The poor, we have always had with
us, and if history will repeat itself
in the same old way, we will have
that poor for the balance of time
We may feed them to the point of ex-
tinction one of several days, such as
Thanksgiving and Christmas, with
New Years and Fourth of July for
good measure-and they will be just
as hungry the day after and the day
before those events, as they ever
Were-if they are not dead after the
annual or semi-annual gorging.
The usual pleas for the filled mar
ket basket and the bulging stocking
are going the rounds of the daily
papers. To one who has lived in a
city and seen the repetition, year af-
ter year, of the appeals, the elabor-
ate boards and committees who form
the disbursement army, and the men
dicants who benefit by this proce-
dure, one WOLders is it worth while.
We have grown into the most i'm
practicable Nation on earth in the
matter of giving, and we are fast be-
coming as gluttonOus as any of the
other nations to whom nightingales
tongues and like It'd bits were topics
of the days discussion.
In the part of charity, there should
be q good leven of the saving salt Of
common sense. To cultivate a self
pity for lot of people who are able
bodied, and who would work and pro-
vide themselves with the things they
have been accustomed to, is
neither help 70 them nor benefit to a
community. 1t has become more
and more the custom to set stand
ard for these people, and to give