The Washington times., 1918-12-27
You Can't Please Everybody
The Story of the Father Son, Donkey, and the Political
Economist.


the father "You should be ashamed to ride and let YOU
BOY walk" So the boy rode and the father walked
The next passer rebuked the son. saying "You should
be ashamed to ride and let your father walk"
So the father got on the donkey sitting behind his
son, and they both rode.
The third pssser said ''You cruel brutes to put
that heavy load upon the donkey You better able to
carry the donkey than he is to carry you
So the father and got off, carried the donkey and
they all three fell the edge of bridge into the water
That's the end Of the fable
You have a repetition of it every time you try to do
anything in the United States.
For instance, q reader sends this message:
Todays local bulletin says the principal cities have
been notified to put into operation all possible municipal
improvements to assist in providing work for homecoming
soldiers"
The reader goes to say that such proposition
promote nonesSentia industry bonding basis is false
economy and productive of bogus prosperity etc.
To which, behalf of the returning soldiers we reply
Never mind about BOGUS prosperity. Let us have
prosperity, and not worry about the rest Let have,
anyhow useful work for soldiers and all other good work
e with fair pay and trust to the of the nation
and the of business take care the
rest
In the winter time farmer works his horses even
though he may make profit Of five dollars day per
team.
he goes ont to clean hedge rows clear drains and
dches he haus cordwood does all kinds of odd jobs His
horses do not much for him. and he does
much for himself he does in the time when
the blowing narrowing and harvesting are done BUT HE
KEEPS his HORSES BUSY; they earn what they eat
Work keeps them good health and he is healthier and
happier.
The nation should look upon the workers the return
ing soldiers dismissed from ammunition factories as
the wise farmer looks upon his horses
No horse should stand the stable idle one day except
the day of rest.
No worker should stay of work idle one day. except
his rest day in and his holidays.
There is enough work to do on every farm to keep
every HORSE busy
There enough work do in the United States to keep
every American WORKER busy. And when men are busy
doing useful work. either for the present by manufacturing
or for the future by draining and gang they PRO
DUoING WEALTH, and wealth can afford to pay them
There are coming back from France two million
soldiers.
In the neghborhood of the single city of Chicago there
are millions Of of land that could be reclaimed and
made into valuable farms by drainage.
The returning soldiers could do the draining Thew
could create wealth making fertile lands of waste ground
The United States ought to have way of putting them
at the work supplying the machinery paying them well
giving to each worker his little farm part payment for
work done
WHAT Cou1u DC oone near Gncago could be done In the
South In the West and all the United States some
times rrgatng sometimes clearing land sometimes drain
ing.
Every city has work that needs doing There are bad
PsVements In all cities II costs to the prosperous that
own automobiles when pavements bad than it would
cost IN taxes to make them good-assuming honest work
The country needs highways, canals it needs schools
that cut down the number of jails.
The world needs food the land is here the money is
here the intelligence and determination have this coun
try continue to stand first all here. The are com
ing back and will need the work.
The money should be forthcoming the tools provided
put to work. every every horse every dollar kept
busy It can be done It should be done IT WILL BE
DONE