Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-06

ty-nine years ago, by order Of the Divine
Providence, I was led to the darkest part Of
London. Within a radius Of one mile lived
100000 people. ninety-five per cent OF
whom had never crossed the threshold Of
place of worship. At the present time we
are represented In forty-two different coun-
tries. We have 1000 officers and 1900 80
cieties. From the first my attention was
drawn to the lowest physical classes, but
four years ago was attracted to still lower
depths. / put my thoughts on paper and
my book, 1 may safely say, attracted the
attention Of the whole world. While the
descriptions In the book referred especially
to the evils of the British empire. / find.
after travelling very largely up and down
the world that they are the same in all big
cities. In South Africa, in Melbourne and
in this country, the latter said to be the
paradise for the workingman, 1 find these
evils, and they are growing. 1t is said to
be a law of civilization that If society goes
Up on one side 1t must necessarily go down
on the other. If that Is 1 say society
need not go up quite so high"
Making Repentance Easy.
Gen. Booth classed the people of the
slums as the hungry, the homeless, the vi
cious and the fallen, and recited a pathetic
incident to illustrate each class. He spoke
of horse that had fallen to the ground
and described the efforts of those present
to assist the animal to rise. Here are
these fallen people all around u.s." said the
general. They are helpless and should be
helped"
The general stated that some one had rs
marked to him that his methods tended to
make vice easy, but he explained that he
does not want to. make vice easy, but he
does want to make repentance easy. Hun
dreds Of women, he said, are springing
forth to assist In the work of the Salvation
Army, and he expressed the hope that there
fallen women Something substantial should
be done for these women, according to Gen.
Booth for even IL they do fall there ought
to be way to raise them.
The speaker referred to the work being
done by missionaries among the heather
and then claimed that we should turn to
and help our own flesh and blood for the
sake of humanity. Christianity he said.
consists in not merely saving myself, but
In saving others as well. The first principle
Of Christianity is to help Others. You own
up TO the responsibility of knowing OF the
existence of these evils but you claim that
you do not know how to help them. The
only way to solve the problem. in his opin-
ion is by the scheme laid down in Darkest
England" The general invited all persons
who thought bis plan incorrect to show
him where he was wrong.
The Gospel of Work.
"You can't save these people from a dis
| tance," said Gen. Booth. If you should
| discover'a wrecked ship on your seacoast,
with the crew in the rigging crying for help,
| would you take an organ and a well-dressed
| choir to the waters edge and sing Rescue
| the PerishingY No. you would set out
| your life Soats." The general described the
| course pursued by charitable organizations
who aid only what is termed the deserving
poor. According to Gen. Booth a man who
| Is in distress, who wants to be helped and
| Is willing to be helped, should be helped,
no matter what ne is or what he has been.
When a man is drowning" the general
| said as an illustration, you don't ask him
| to produce his certificate of baptism 70
prove he is all right before saving him. do
your
| the speaker, for charitable work, but it Is
| applied only for the amelioraion, not for
| the deliverance, of the evils. Money should
be spent in making these idle and apparent
| ly worthless people work
1t IS the law OF heaven, of God and OF
| the universe to work. The people referred
| TO should be reformed Make the drunk
| ard sober, make the harlot chaste make
| the idler work and make the thief honest.
After three years trial, the general stated,
| 10 per cent of the criminals who had passed
| through the hands of the Salvation Army
mad proved honest. Each year $500 fallen
| women are cared for by the army and out
| of every 100 10 are leading virtuous lives.
| The cost of reformation is about SIC each.
| rhe majority of these people. in the gen
| erals opinion, are forced into their low
1
| work for Them" said the general in conclu-
| sion. THE Salvation Army believes in the
| reformability of human nature" He stated
that the army was in debt to the amount OF
| fifty-eight thousand pounds sterling. and
closed with an earnest appeal for assist.
| ance.
| Gen. Booths Reception.
When the applause had subsidized, Rev
| Alexander Mackaye Smith. pastor of St
| Johns Church. arose and made a brief ad
dress. in which he stated that the churches
are not altogether to blame for not having
| done better work In the slums. I'VE ali
| love Gen. Booth and the Salvation Army, -
Rev. DR.. Smith said, and we ask God :
| blessing on him and on mis- work"
| Commander Ballington Booth pronounced
| the benediction aud the meeting was at an
| end. For several minutes thereafter Gen
| Booth was busy shaking hands with peopl:
| who FASTENED to the platform. A number
| left sums Of money with him to be used in
| furthering the work of the army.