The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-26


Bright crowns. Bright crowns,
Bright crowns laid UP on hight
For you-u-u, and me-e-e!
There'e a crown of yictory-y-
There's a crown of victory
was not Immediately apparent TO persons
whose ideas of chursh service ran CHIEFLY
in the direction CT worship and alteration
of God. And then, too, the idea of holding
meetings in places that had been only a
few weeks before used as stores, or saloons,
or dance nails, or even worse, couiu not
ways associated religious meetings. with
sacred edifices." Then. again. the idea OF
sending young men and young women out
into the world as religious teachers who
had never been to college, and who. only
a year or two before, had been mechanics,
school teachers, or ''helps" What could
and the Bible, and the deep things of God?
Surely. if there were no money in it,, and
these folks were sincere, they must be pre-
sumptuous.
And the noise. Some of these people
prayed as IL they feared the Lord was deaf.
And as for the singing-why, they never
seemed satisfied unless the congregation
positively roaring out the choruses of
the songs! And the tunes! The less said
about them the better The words were all
rignt, of course. The Snwanee River,
Blue "'Dixies Land" and the tunes of the
popular street songs OF the hour were good
enough in their places. but it seemed posi-
lively irreverent TO sing sacred words to
such airs. And so -on.
No. there really was nothing much about
the Salvation Army at that time TO attract
the average churchgoer.
REAL. SEI.F-DENIAL.
And then, too, other things were against
the army 1t was looked upon as English
it had a military government-it took col
lections at every meeting-it wore red
shirts-it sent its women into saloons with
War Crys-it gave no entertainments-it
;e.lrx
forbade theater-going, card-playing and
dancing, and insisted on the real denial of
self ani sacrifice of personal interests in a
way that was as novel to the average Amer
lean citizen as it was repugnant to him.
There are now 5000 members of the
Auxiliary I.eague-an association OF persons
outside the ranks of the army, who sub
scribe s. a year to it's funds. These friends
comprise not only members, but prominent
ministers in all the leading denominations.
while Roman catholics, Jews and skeptics
are not unrepreSented.
In all the largest cities of the Union now
occupied by US the army stands well with
the churches and the religious people. And
this is not because the army has changed
for it has not-but because its leaders have
been able to obtain the ear Of the ministers
and the poor people, and 10 explain To
them the why and the wherefore for what
seemed grotesque, bizarre and unnecessary
We would not for moment have II
thought that the Salvation Army had be-
present standing and the approval of the
American public not by deserving its mis-
sion to the outcast, not in any instance
by toning down its measures, or making
easy its truths, but by the fact that it has
demonstrated itself a success. The COM
mander and Mrs. Booth have insisted, in
all their dealings with the soldiers and
officers, that rather than become more re
spectacle" the army shall become more
dsreputable, that il may more thoroughly
reach the class for whom it lves-the lost
the outcast, the black sneep of society.
Perhaps in no country il the world is the
army more strong in its lively military and
unique practices than in this land, and more
than ever are it's officers and soldiers deter
mining that they will make no compromise
but go down into the deepest depths, In
which their help and comfort are most need
ed. The Commander and Mrs. Booth, Ii Is
true, have spoken in the drawing rooms oi
the wealthy and in the churches of the
rich, but they have done so only 10 explain
tneir work and pave the way for their deal
people; they have themselves led the mid
night meetings on the streets, they nav,
| themselves worked in connection with th'
slum officers and their dealings WITH the
respectable and wealthy have been only fol
/, the army's sake. They have lived amoni
/ their own people, they have lived upon tn.
! level of their own officers and soldiers. alC
| have distinctly SHOWN in dress and actions
| as we'll as word, that they wished the worl(
always to regard them as humble and dc
| voted followers Of Christ Jesus beneath tn,
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