The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-07
AT THE OPERA HOUSE.
The Commander Explains the Objects of
the Salvation Army.

Commander Booth was the first speaker
at the meeting in the opera house in the
evening. Fully 1000 people were present.
including some of the leading citizens of
Helena. The commander gave a brief his
tory of the organization and growth OF the
army. Il believe,' he said, that the sue
cess of the Salvation army is due to the fact
that we believe in divine enthusiasm. The
Salvation army is an ark floating on the
waters of sin and iniquity, picking up poor
souls who are floating on the waves to eter-
nifty: it is a moral broom sweeping the gut
tiers of society,"" Later on he said. address
ing the army: you are carrying the wa
tiers of life to the poor, painting heart of
humanity" Some say the Salvation army
is going down" he continued. ut is going
down the right way, thank God. Religion
has been in the steeples too long. 1t
is now going into the CUTTERS. You
ask us why we beat our
drums in the street. For the same reason
that the ministers beat the bells of their
churches and we have as much right to do
so. If we are going to reach the element
who will not cross the door steps of your
fine churches and sit under their carved
, arches and gothic windows, we have to in
troduce some novel way to get at them.
Too long the hand of mercy has been with
held from those who need mercy. The
cnurcn mas 700 long Sloou aslue alu 10y IAe
driftwood of society-God's own-go down
in the food. 1t needed some hand to ex-
tend to the drunkarl and the harlot and to
save them. The cold ecclesiastical hand
cannot reach them. 1t needed a warm,
loving, Divine hand. | am not going to DO
fastidlous rs to what a man fishes with.
The lads with the red shirts and the lasses
with the coal shovel bonnets can get hold
of a soul that the fine sermon cannot
reach.'' ''Ihey say we belong to the
scum of society here" he said,
furthur ON, "but we belong to the aristoc-
racy of heaven" After referring to the
condition of ''darkest England" Com
mander Booth said there was a state of
things in this country not much better.
There were 1,5OO.O 900 drunkards and
1000, COO moderate drinkers in his land;
$500, 100000 were spent for bread, and, he
blushed to say, 1920, O0O,0 COO for liquor.
Darkest England!' he exclaimed, God
help us to do something for darkest
America
AS Mrs. Booth advanced to the front of
the stage to speak, the commander inter
rupted her to shout: ''My wife is a remark
able woman. That's why | married her.
Before she got started he broke in again:
And Pm a remarkable man. That's why
she married me- Mrs. Booth blushed
somewhat and said she ought to feel ner
vous, but they were used to interruption S
in the Salvation army, a reference to the
treatment of some of the street parades
which brought down the house. She said
she felt as if she had a right to speak of
the Salvation army. She had seen it be-
hind the scenes, as we'll as before; she
had seen it march through the streets when
pelted with rotten eggs, cabbages. etc.
thing which should be a shame and a blot
on any free country where it was done.
Then she had seen it march 10000 strong
and in the anksw were people who had be-
fore been the terror of society. After Sc
verely criticising those who had criticised
the Salvation army she asked: DO vol
think We walk the streets because We like
to; do you think We wear the uniform be
cause We think 1T pretty: do yot
think We leave our homes to seel
sinners snd he stoned for it because WI
like it! You critics come and high in on
ranks and you will soon find that the wa,
IS in earnest and we do 1T because we hav'
a firm conviction of our aim, and VT will
go through fire AMI water to obtain it. w,
believe that aim was given US from TIL
cross by the wounded hands of Christ.
The salvation army's AIM" she continued
rs TO save the lost. The man or woman
whose heart is polluted by Sin is los
whether in the mansion or in the gutter. w
draw the line Mt righteousness and pur
lty. The upper ten are those who a e right
cous. he lower ten thousand are thos
who have broken Christ's laws; they will
never be reckoned III the upper ten of tn
New Jerusalem The little woman, wit
considerable ginger in her voice, said tn
dross of the salvation lasses had been Gale
"a fright The dress of some of tn
fashionable people" she said. is not nea
so becoming nor SO modest as that OF th
salvation rim %lasses."
: Mrs. Booth dwelt at length on the wor
of the SUN sisters in New York an
drew q graphic picture of the dark place
visited by the women HDDupgl IN the care &