The record-union., 1892-02-10
SOMETHING OF GENERAL BOOTHS
GREAT SCHEME.

OG
GREAT SCHEME.
Probably very few who witness the
marching in our streets of the little band
of enthusiasts representing the Salvation
Army, pause to reflect upon the enor-
nous army the group that tramps
through mud and rain to the discordant
music of drum and tambourine, and to
the time of jeers and laughter, really
stands for, or the marvellous work Of its
head and source.
DR.. Albert Shaw, one of the most
skilled of modern journalists and editor
of the ReUie10 Of ReUieaOS, has just given
in the pages of the Forum glimpse of
one of the most stupendous schemes OF
philanthropy and it's present success.
which must be placed to the credit Of the
Salvation Army, of which General Booth
is the chief
Because he has at command an "army''
of thoroughly well disciplined and
wholly devoted followers, numbering
some hundreds of thousands in England
alone, he has been able to set on foot and
begin the accomplishment of work OF
relief of the poor and debased that has
been the dream of philanthropists for a
hundred years, but which no one before
Booth, if we except the Besant workers,
has had the courage to properly under
take. But General Booths scheme by
its breadth, far-seeing and far-reaching,
dwarfs Besant's and the aims of the Peo-
ple's Palace.
General Booth, as head of the Salvation
Army, in 1889 published that remarkable
book, ''In Darkest England, and the
Way Out" DR.. Shaw pronounces it "by
far the ablest and the most truly scientific
treatise ever written in any language
upon the particular social problems with
which it deals" When it appeared with
all its startling exposures, its apparently
fanciful scheme for mitigating human
misery. and its astounding demand for
S5,0O0,000, the world laughed and declared
that Booth was worse than crank.
But it will be remembered that before
the book had been three months out, il
commanded halt, and political and so.
cial economists began to soberly debate
the Booth scheme. Inside of six months
derision had been transformed into re.
spect and doubt into belief, and before
the year was over General Booth haC
100000 on hand and his marvellous work
under way. It is conceded now on al
sides that his plan is feasible, and M
doubt is anywhere entertained of his mo-
receiving, as he needs it, the remaining
S4,5OO,OOO.
What is gratifying concerning it, too
is that nowhere has there been raised
whisper of doubt concerning the proper
use of the money by the Salvationists
Mr.. Shaw informs US that so clear, anG
sharp, and open are all the proceedings
and so well guarded is the financial work
of the scheme, that misrepresentation i.
simply out of the question.
In brief paper no adequate idea of the
Booth scheme can be given. His re-
markable book lays down its lines very
plainly, and whoever feels curious inter.
est in it for detail is referred to those
pages.
Briefly, Booth and his army started out
with the idea of abolishing the wors
forms of wickedness in the city of Lon
don, where it more abounds than else
where on the habitable globe They die
not announce their ability to stop up thu
sources of misery, but did say that BY
properly treating their results they hoped
to accomplish more relief at less cost thar
the most hopeful had, in widest fancy
dreamed of, and that through this treat
ment such corrections might be evoked
from society as will eventually yer,
largely operate as preventives and to DIR,
up the worst fountain heads of misery.
The army has for years maintainet
lodging-houses, soup houses, hospitals
rescue homes and the like. They hav
been agencies of great good, but none O
them were curative-at least in but
slight degree. But the new plan con
templates the abolition of wretchednes
by changing the environment. AS mol,
and damp cannot endure air and sunlight
so Booth holds that misery, sloth, th
filth of poverty and debasement, an,
very largely vice, must disappear by let
ting in the sunlight and air of cleanli
ness.
His idea is to construct bridge owe
which the unfortunate and degraded poo
can climb up and out of misery, an
''over and into a prepared environment
that will afford every reasonable chanc
Of moral and industrial rehabilitation.