﻿GOVERNMENT AND SOUP 

Governments, by reason of their very bulk, are too clumsy to function efficiently in a national emergency or calamity. I am led to that opinion by witnessing the alacrity with which benevolent and charitable organizations rush in to resene the American people with seemingly unlimited gallons of soup just when the great government is comfortably settled down to investigate the matter. 
I am further persuaded in this by the sad collection of cases wherein the government spent a life-time investigating and pigeon-holing a debt that finally proved to be correct in its proportions and which eventually was paid not to the man himself but to his son’s children. 
The unethicalncss of that developes when we reduce the matter to soups: 
A bowl of hot soup would hardly save me from starvation if served to one of my son’s children, after my time. 
It follows then that the bulkier the government the slower its movements provided my premise is correct and if the reverse is not true, (i. e., the weight of government is too light for the amount of territory it covers)—a deplorable condition either way much as I’d like to compliment the angust bodies on their speed. 
Again, as we pursue our observations, we find the lesser governments, like city administrations, respond to the “crying needs” with a promptness that verges right, nigh, close unto suddenness and with a speed that seems almost foreign to its very nature. It is almost beyond description, the despatch with which a 300 lbs. cop takes ½ lb. of coffee and 5 dozens of out-of-date rolls and performs the miracle of serving breakfasts to 24 men—no crumbs leftover. 
From this it would appear further despatch can be had by going to lesser governments, and lesser, until you arrive at government composed of and in one person, an individual,—it is here we may expect quickest response. 
Well and good. 
Praying political governments for reliefs, first aids or B. V. D.’s, at best, is a tedious process and makes for little results—instance the trustful farmer and his eight years of continuous and vociferous supplication: not once in all those years has he had cause to cease praying and start blessing. In fact he has discontinued his prayers only for short intermissions during which he felt like and did utilize his histrionic abilities in high class agricultural cussing—verbal—pyrotechnics. 
Had the farmer placed his faith in the so-called “promiscuous begging” and approached one or more of the lesser governments, say the Red Cross or Legion or both combined or, better still, the Salvation Army, his appeal for B. V. D.’s would have found answer in a pair of short drawers (crushed hen’s nest in the scat) and a fleece lined undershirt with fleece and one sleeve missing— (I’m proving result as I go along). 
I have here said “better still, the Salvation Army.” This is because Red Cross and Legion are more of a patriotic government than a religious one and are disinclined to hear your prayer unless you have been killed in France and have a death certificate to prove it . 
In that case there latter days saints place their generosity on a base of partiality and subject to your glorious demise in the beloved France even as the greater government stalls the farmer off by screeching, “DOLE!” 
It is not a dole, it is a custom of the country and indicates to what extent the governments are left behind the customs of the people. 
Begging for, giving and receiving “doles”, (soups, sox, shelter, and soft-soap) is more than a custom, it is a habit—a bad habit—and for any government to continue debating a national calamity is another bad habit. 
But governments persist and if past performances are a criterion we may expect the angust body to abolish the dinner hour as a solution to the foodless suppers. 
I have not here carried my arguments along, trusting the reader to supply them. What’s more I will not enter any extended debate to show the proper way to approach such ticklish situations as the present “unemployment problem”—I recognize the people can live without work almost indefinitely in a country that has plenty of food, clothing and shelter. 
And if those things be “doles” hand them to us and watch what wo do with them. 
We produced them! 
We did here, though, throw a strange insinuation that going to an individual direct and putting the matter up to him personally brings the matter to a head quicker. If this be so, it then follows if you make your wants known to the boss himself, and not to his governments, your wants will be satisfied the sooner and possibly obviate the necessity of starving while praying. 
It also follows you have a better chance with the boss if you approach him as an organized body. 
For Christs sake let us not make a charitable organization of our governments!