St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-21
FROM SIRE TO SON
THE TEXT OF GEN. BoOTH5S LET
TER TO DARLINGTON MADE
PUBLIC.
FATHERS PATHETIC APPEAL.
UPON WITH THE GREATEST
FORCE.
HISTORY OF THE BOOTH TROUBLE.
Letters Published to Refute the
Statement Made by the Leader
of the Volunteers.

NEW YORK, April 2O.-Acting upon orders
from Gen. William Booth. the full text of the
corresDondence between Ballington Booth
and the International headquarters of the
Salvation Army, relative to the resignation
of Mr.. and Mrs. Ballington Booth, has been
made public. The reason for the publication
is said to be the misleading statement made
by Ballington Booth. The publication Of the
full text Of the letters is expected to refute
some Of the alleged facts given to the pub
lie by the leader Of the new salvation move
ment.
The first letter published Is the communi-
cation from Ballington Booth setting out in
detail his reasons for rendering his resigna-
tion. The action of Gen. Booth in removing
Ballfngton from the command of the army In
America is spoken Of as as "cruel move -
and it is added: ''We are ccSnered; brought
to checkmate We have no doubt the gen.
eral will say with but slight regret, let them
60, but he will be responsible for wrecking
our future lives. There are a great many
things that stand between us and the possi-
bility Of our taking another appointment,
and they constitute the chief bitterness of
our present position" The reasons for the
resignation are then given in detail, the most
important being that the spiritual work of
the army is being neglected to push social
work, and that the general is Indifferent to
the work of the army in America Gen.
Booth is quoted as saying during his visit to
America: 81 am not going to let you suck
all the juice out of this plum
The second letter Of the three published is
the reply of Bramwell Booth, chief of staff.
to the resignation. This letter Is very vol
luminous The communication of Ballington
is taken up paragraph by paragraph, and
almost clause by clause, and his objections
and protests answered. In summing up
Bramwell says in part:
Since the generals return in 1895 have
written you again and again desiring you and
Maud, or either of you, to come over that we
might discuss the difference between your
self and the general. You have not come.
am not now complaining of that / do
strongly object to your now making it rea-
son for your resigning that we have not con-
suited with you. Why have you gone on for
nearly twelve months before stating that YOU
had lost confidence in the general, and now
renounce 1t at The moment when you do not
think he is acting wisely in changing your
appointment? Why? Do you not see that the
answer to that question is, that whatever
personal grief you may have felt at the
generals displeasure, you never would have
your position if it had not been for his de-
cision to change your appointment
You say that he belittled the army work.
II you mean in public all I can answer is
that his published speeches refute the state
ment. If you mean in private, I can only
suppose that your reference is to his pointing
out to you the fact that in many respects
the United States command is comparatively
behind in some respects. You have yourself,
ana very properly so, lamented in your let
ters, that your soldiers and your local Of
mi r1nr In nm ,fxa,. Te a.
Tor nothing that you are what you are main
Y through his toll and love and confidence?
You owe this very opportunity in the states,
which you feel to have been so glorious and
SO precious. Can you forget all this, and now
propose to make return to him for it all by
ln1lcting upon him the deepest wound one
prayerful and patient consideration of all I
have said. I invoke the blessing OF God upon
1t, and pray that He will enable you to read
in the spirit in which I have written To
one name which has come thousand times
to my lips during these dark and anxious
Gays nave made no reference here. Bal
nngton, remember your mothers love. None
joined in more solemn and binding promises
OF faithfulness to each other, to the army
TO God, and to our father whose name was
the last and tenderest word on her dying
lips Now in the hour of sore temptation
and encouragement and trial, I ask you
IN ner name and for her sake who gave you
birth and led you also as a tender lamb to
her dear Masters feet, to keep your word"
The last of the letters is the personal appeal
from Gen. Booth to Ballington. 1t is dated
London, March 49, It Is addressed to "My
Dear Ballington," and the general says, in
opening: II say dear, for you are still dear
to me. You are my son and your mothers
son, whose dying request was that you might
stond by me and the rest of her children in
fidelity to God and to the Salvation Army,
The letter. even the formal portion of it.
where the reasons for the resignation are
again taken up and considered In detail, is
couched in terms Of great affection. The
whole tenor Of the communication is of per-