Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-02-25
THE sALvATIoNIsFs.
A Correspondent Speaks a Word In
Their Defense.

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 18th, 1890.
correspondence Of the DISCREET
NEws.l-In glancing over the
police items in your last nights
issue saw an account Of the arrest
of two Salvation army psraders for
blowing horns and beating drums
on Sunday evening. Now, sir, do
not know the person or persons that
entered the complaint and caused
the arrest, neither do l wish to; but
with your permission / would like
| briefly to review this affair. Salt
Lake City has just passed through q
dreadful affiiction mot Ia grippe
but worse, viz, the drum corps fever,
which has struck every section of
this city for the Isst three or four
months, raging from Sunday morn
ing till Saturday night without any
cessation. Drums, flies, brass
bands, tin oil cans, horns and tin
pans have been brought into use,
accompanied occasionally by sky
rockets, Roman candles, fire crackers
bombs, bonfires, etc.
In all this campaign, where is the
first instance Of a complaint on
either party, Literal or Peoples?
And yet two men with drum aud
horn must be arrested because they
were creating a nuisance. Perhaps
the complainant is an Episcopalian
or Catholic or Lutheran. What
about the noise Of his church bells,
which can he heard all over the
city? Perhaps he is a member Of
some lodge. Should any brother
die and be buried on n Sunday, In
all probability a band Of music
would precede the procession. What
citizen would complain CT the bells
or the dclenii dirge played by the
band? Such music gives most peo-
pie the blues. And yet few Saliva
ton paraders with fife, drum, cor
net and timhrel must be arrested
because this is one Of their modes Of
worship, which is as old as Israel.
1t may be possible that the parties
who entered the complaint did it in
some very strong language, such rs
is not taught in Sunday School;
yet this would not be noticed, al
though there is n city ordinance
making the use of such language a
punishable offense. But the poor
earnest Salvationist, who sings
praises, talks about his Savior and
plays his drum must be arrested.
The complainant may say, 81
don't like them; they are cranks.
Listen to their talk; lsoA at their
dress. They are n set Of cranks."
All new religious denominations
have been denounced by opponents
and have been called by the Oldest
chestnut eranks. Their talk is plain
and simple, after the order OF the
Savior's, viz Il came not to call
the righteous but sinners to repent
ance.v You never saw or heard OF
the Salvation man going into any
church fishing in other peoples
water to catch their fish.
What about the dress and garb Of
the cardinal, the Bishop or priest,
the surplice Of the Episcopalian or
the frock coat and white tie of the
Wesleyan? Look at the women;what
about tie Catholic, the Quakeress, the
Primitive Methodist or Ranter, the
Shaker, the Bunker or the Salvation
lassie?
Now the parties so annoyed by
these people may accuse the writer
of being Salvation Army member.
He never could be more mistaken in
his life. | never was and never ex-
poet TO be. but 1 will say this: |
have kept an eye on General Booth
and his wife since they first visited
the slums Of East London, not quite
twenty-five years since, and today
that organization has eight thousand
officers in thirty-siX countries OF this
globe. They are a modern wonder.
/, in common with others in tins
city and Territory, have had TO
pass through phases similar to these
people. / have, in the streets of
cities, towns and villages, been
Knocked, Kissed and scofed at and
pelted with eggs, rotten apples, filth
and stones. l never enjoyed it, but
my religious zeal fired me on. For
goodness sake, and Cor the sake Of reli-
glous freedom in the evening Of the
nineteenth century, never let il be
said that these people, in any pa-t Of
the United States Of America, are ar
rested and imprisoned on such silly
charges.
What the world needs today is
less so-called religion and more
Christianity; less form and pomp
and more truth and simplicity; less
coercion and more charity; less
Sbylockism and more benevolence.
This is a good world. but can be
made n better one. There is room
enough for US all. Don't crowd each
other. Life is short.
Thanking you for this space, l
remain, sincerely yours,
TTNCTE