The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-21
sally ATION'S Big MIGHT.
Ballington Booth Addressed a
Large Gathering at Corps
No. 2.

Ballington Booth, Commander-in4Chi thief of
the Salvation Army in America and son of
the founder of the Army the world over,
talked to a large audience at Corps No, 2,
Bergen avenue and Union street, last night.
He is a tall, soldierly looking man. He
wears the little tin badge on his coat, just as
the humblest soldier does on his. Beside it
he wears a small American flag. Before the
meeting there was a big street parade.
When the Salvationists returned to their
hall they found it packed to the door with
people anxious to hear the commander. As
he entered the crowd cheered vociferously.
The service opened with prayers and
troduced Commander Booth, who took
the floor and talked for over
an hour about the workings of the Army.
He has been in the Army for sixteen years,
and, as he said, II lave had a chance to
study it not only before but behind the
scenes, and have yet to find an organiza-
tion which is doing as great a work as it is
doing" He told of how the Army has been
prosecuted in the United States, but in spite
of all persecution has prospered, and how,
during the past five years there has been a
decided change in regard to the attitude of
the people toward it--they treat it now with
more respect.
CnANdE In SENllMENl.
''There was a time he said, ''when every
| paper had some mean remarks to make about
the Army. 1t is now difficult to find an
organ which will say anything against the
movement. Those who WELD the pen find
that the Salvationists are working a reform
which the churches nave never been able to
accomplish. There was a time when,
moral was said of the Sal
vationists the people at large would echo
quite true-put it in the papers and show
them up. They would say, THAT young
Booth, in New York, is making money out
of it; show him up daughter from the
Salvationists.) There are thousands who
are always ready to give to the Salvation
Army a character and a spirit which it does
not deserve. | find, however, that this
tendency to ridicule and SANDER these people
he never classed himself with the working
Salvationists-is gradually dying out"
H FIRST OF H ARMY.
He then told of how the Army was start
ed, and said: "Twenty-seven years ago, in
Great Britain, my father was a Methodist
minister and was conducting revival meet
ings from church to church and from
town to town. The churches were
not large enough to hold the
crowds that fiocked to hear him aAd
at the conclusion of the meetings many
souls ave themselves to God and joined the
churches. Mr.. Booth came to London. One
day in the company of Mr.. Samuel Morley,
the philanthropist, he took a walk down
Mile End Waste and there he saw the many
thousands who were ~groveling in poverty
and sin. The leading problem which was
engrossing the attention of the thinking men
of that day was. how should we reach the
sixty per cent of working people who never
darken the doors Of az sanctuary. Mr..
Booth carried this problem in his own mind
and pondered it in his heart. As result of
his thinking he conducted services in a
disused tent, which was erected over a
burial ground. He soon had reformed
scavengers, thieves, ~drunkards and swearers
in his meetings. He allowed these to mount
the platform and give their. testimonies and
as he saw how their recitals moved the
audience and often held them spell
bound he came to the conclusion
that no one could better save the d~runkards
than a reformed ~drunkard, no one could bet
ter turn the thief from his way than a con-
verted thief. He sent his converts to differ
ent parts of the city to give their expert
ences, and then sent them into the neighbour
ing towns. The news of the success of his
plan soon spread and he received letters
from the Midland country, Send us some of
your converts to talk to the people here He
sent some OF his women converts to them.
The cry next came from Scotland, and the
work was started there. Wales next took it
up, and two devoted women started it there.
France called for workers and my sister
responded. A converted milk boy started
the work in Australia. Switzerland was
next at tended to. Soon the cry came from
across the Atlantic, Send some of your peo-
pie to America Commissions Railton,
with five ~untutored, uneducated but earnest
girls, amid persecution Of all kinds, started
the work here, and God has so prospered it
that we nave now in the United States corps
in over 500 cities and towns, 1900 COM
handing officers, $500 local officers and A.
600 local workers"
He next laid before the people a few facts
showing the need for an agency for reform
in this country.
AN APPEAL
He closed with:-sH any of the words
| have said have brought conviction to your
heart that these people are worthy and are
doing Gods work, when you go forth from
this meeting pray for them, give them your
| sympathy, md help them ina practical way,
so hat when the books are opened you can
add to your testimony, l did not offend the
least of these little ones"
The collection was taken up, and then
Captain Walden and Lieutenant Owens said
a fearful farewell to the corps where they
have for so long worked side by side, and
where they ave become attached to the peo-
| pie. Lieutenant Dunlap, one of the new
officers, who is one of the sweetest singers in
the Army, sang a song, the commander pro-
~nounced the blessing, and the meeting
closed.