The Helena independent., 1891-02-02
AN AMERICAN BOOTH.

1t is terrible picture of the ''slums"
that the leader of the Salvation army
has drawn in Darkest England" The
man who can successfully remove such
IN aggregation of crime, disease and
Iestitution as exists in that country
will build himself the noblest of monu.
ments in the grateful hearts and recol-
lections of his fellow countrymen. And
there is no reason why the attempt
should not in time be crowned with sue
cess, if energy, good sense and charity
join hands in its promotion. The
scheme is not, even in outline, an inno-
vation. AS long ago as last century an
American grappled with a similar diff
Guilty, and came out triumphant. 1t is
| not even unfair to imagine that General
Booths methods are largely modelled on
his.
| Rumford count Of the Holy Roman
empire, does not sound either American
or republican, but it is the historical
title of one who, as boy, was known to
the good folks of Woburn, Mass, in
1903, as Benjamin Thompson Rising to
be secretary of state in the British gov
ernment, he was knighted by George
Ill. He passed into the service of the
elector Of Bavaria, became grand cham
| berlain, minister of war, lieutenant gen
eral and commander in-chief of the Ba-
varian forces. He reformed entirely the
military system of his adopted country,
and with the restless energy of true
Yankee, proceeded to root beggary and
paupersm out of the state. At that
time Bavaria itself, and the city OF
| Munich in particular, we're the head
quarters of shameless pauperdom. The
very city streets were paraded by beg
ging thieves and vagabonds. They
| forced their way into private houses anc
| interrupted church services to demand
an aims of the worshippers. Each gang
had and held it's particular district o1
country or city, and many beggal
girls sole doWry conferred on her hus.
band the right to extend his business ir
the larceny line.
1t was this sea Of turbulence and law.
lessness that the American undertook te
drain, when all others had failed. His
system was simple, SO simple that il
seemed a revelation to the men who ha(
been persistently butting their head.
against a stone wall. 80 make viclou.
and abandoned people happy" he de
ciared, you have always supposed il
necessary to make them first virtu
Gus. Why not reverse the order? VIII,
not make them first happy, and thel
virtuous!" The good people of Londo
have been repeating the old Bavaria
mistake. Missionaries, gospel reader
and lindly~meaning women have gon
amongst wretches, at whose bones hur
ger was gnawing, and exhorted them t
be virtuous. What Il hollow mockery
must all have seemed to the poor creat
ures most concerned! They were ask
ing for bread and they were given
stone.
Count Rumford's idea worked like
charm. In one day, for instance, h
caused the arrest of no less than 2GG
outcasts in the streets of Municl
They were Immediately transferred t
,, an industrial establishment, prt
pared for their reception. Comfortf
bly, housed and we'll fed, they not onl
paid the cost of their own support, b,
in SIX years had brought profit of on
hundred thousand ilorns TO the stat.
In less than quarter Of century nc
one beggar was to be found in the lenpt
and breadth of Bavaria. And a recen
traveller speaks of the Bayarian peasan
= ry as the finest in the world, brave, j,
= telllgent and self=respecting, with a
entire absence of mendicancy anon
them. General Booth may derive cou
age from the Americans careful pla,
nlng, prompt execution and salutar
t Kindness, and proceed on. his mlssio
" with good hope OF ultimate success.