The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-16
HE FULLY EXPLAIN THE REASON
HE LEFT THE SALVATION
ARMY.
HIS FATHER MADE BAD BREAKS.
The General Thought the Time Had
Arrived to Cease Carrying the Stars
and Stripes and Spoke Dispar-
agingly of America.

New York, April 12.-Commander and
Mrs. Ballington Booth gave out the APP
pended statement tonight at headquart-
ers:
''Since our statement written in re-
Spouse to the urgings we received to in
augurate n new movement was issued,
we avoided making any reply to the in
accurate statements which have from
time to time appeared in print from the
present leaders of the Salvation Army.
In this attitude of silence we have been
endorsed by our friends and the public.
1t was our intention to maintain this 81
lence but during the last few days news
has reached us that portions of our pri-
vate letters are being shown by London's
representatives, who are putting their
own interpretations upon our reasons for
our present position. Hearing of this
our friends and our officers, who wish
their position at our side to be under
stood, urge us to state some of our Tea-
sons for deciding to take another COM
mand under international government.
I'VE have not appealed to the Ameri-
can people for help and support, and we
cannot forget decent respect for the
opinion of mankind requiring that we
declare the causes which impelled us to
this separation. 1t must, however. be
conceded that our position has been and
is very delicate one from the fact that
there is much of the personal element
which we can not eliminate from the con-
troversy because of our family relation
ship with the founder and leaders of the
Salvation Army.
ut has been repeatedly asked why we
do not publish our letter of the 31st of
January, which has been so wrongly
quoted in connection with our resigna-
tion.. That letter, being private com
munication from son to father and broth
er, we have told them we can not honor
ably make it public. The receivers of
the letter are at perfect liberty to do so,
provided they print it intact. In justice
to our present position, | will state with
emphasis that no one letter embraces all
the reasons of our inability to accent
another command, but that letter, cover
ing period of nearly two years past, and
also those of later date than the 31st of
January, are necessary to an understand
ing of the situation, especially the letter
of April 5. 1896.
ITO preclude the possibility of the state
ment being made that we were unwilling
to obey orders, or that prospects of leav-
ing this country was the cause of dissat-
isfaction, we wrote the following in this
same letter January 81: 1T must not
be said at any time that we have left be-
cause we We're unwilling to leave Ameri-
ca; this would be untrue, for we have
made no remonstrances. nor have we re-
fused
1T should be carefully remembered:
"First-That LOndon's representatives,
after they had precipitated the whole
transaction and forced us from our posi-
ton, so preventing our quiet farewell and
retirement, made the definite statement
that we said we had lost confidence in the
general and in our international system of
administration, which reasons alone, by
their own showing, would prove we could
not consistently accept another field under
the circumstances.
''Second-1t should be distinctly under
stood that our feelings regarding the mat
tiers of controversy were known by Lon
don prior to the sending of our farewell
orders Many letters passed between us
and the general after our interview with
him in this country previous to the time
when secret communication from him to
us ceased.
Upon receipt of orders to leave Ameri
ca we wrote letter, dated January /.
asking if international headquarters had
quences of the condition of command at
that particular time. The feeling toward
England then existing in this country
the heavy financial responsibility of our
new building and our own peculiar and I'M
fortunate relations with the general from
whom we had received no communication
of any character for six mOnths), made
it appear to us a most unfortunate and ILL
advised step. This letter was forwarded
by others from us stating that we were
preparing TO fulfill their plans and relin-
quish our command.
"On January 81 we wrote to London
stating some of our reasons for being I'M
able, conscientiously, to accept another
command, but making plain that we did
not wish to injure the army. as the follow
ing sentence will show: We wanted to
save our dear people, who from shore to
shore of this territory believe in us and
love u.s. and yet in their land we can not
be inconsistent How could we take an
other command, feeling as we do? The
only light we have received from God is
that upon the path we have now determin
ed to take; namely, to obey your orders
eXpeditously as possible to return
"The generals visit was the primary
cause between us and himself. From
first to last he impressed us with his dis
pleasure and dissatisfa ction with us per-
sonally, and with our method of admin
istering affairs. We lived in and under
stood this country. He said the time had
arrived to cease carrying the stars and
stripes at the head of our parades. He
objected to the use of the eagle upon
our crest, and constantly spoke deprecat
ingly of the country, its people and its
institutions. Our constant defense and
explanations in answer to his attacks
only increased the difficulty. With our
affection for and knowledge of America,
this placed us in a most unfortunate po
sitiOn. He, in consequence, showed but
little interest and sympathy with us per-
sonally. He spoke no words of approval
of our toll and success, and in other ways
we need not mention, made the visit one
of the bitterest experiences of our lives.
During our experience in America
we have gradually become convinced that
the system of governing the work in this
country from a foreign center, by laws
made by those unaware of the needs and
conditions of the country is neither wise
nor practical. Constant friction has, on
this account, existed between us and the
headquarters.
Our judgment has been forced upon