The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-20
THE SALVATION BOOTHS.
From the New York Tribune.

FROM the New YORK Tribune.
Now that William Booth and his son,
Ballington, after protracted negotiations
conducted through their plenipotentiar-
les, have had an interview and separated
without either breaking the peace or
piecing the break, we hope that they Will
for time efface themselves as far as
possible. The witnesses in whose pres
ence father and son finally consented to
meet are presumably prepared to refute
any Misrepresentation which may en-
| anate from over-zealous partisans or
either, and no good reason, therefore, APP
pears why the principals should not give
their entire time to the task of saving
souls each according to his own ideas
of the methods and discipline best adapt
ed to that supreme end. 1t must be ad-
mitted that such q course of conduct
would subject them to severe strain;
but they ought at least to attempt it,
| remembering what they have caused
countless others to endure in recent years
| by their incessant strife. 1t is natural
| that they should suppose the whole
country to be waiting in breathless sus-
pense for the result of the elder Booth s
visit, If, as seems to be the fact, each
| honestly deems himself the most impor-
| tant individual now living In the world
But in the interest of truth and religion
we must assure them that such supre-
macy really belongs to neither.
o
How much good the Salvation Army
was doing before the Booths began their
| open quarrel there is no means of cal
| culating. Our strong impression has been
| that the total was large. But 1t is i'm
! possible to suppose that the exhibition
! of evil passions and colossal vanity
which has been going on during the last
| two years has not done an immense
/ a mo nt nf har hn Gt1 N
betrayal, under the eyes of those most
| likely to be unfortunately influenced
| thereby. of the cause to which these spec
| tacular professors of the Gospel of Christ
| are ostensibly devoted. A long period of
| pure and peaceful effort to raise the
fallen, strengthen the weak, succor the
| afflicted and evangeize the world will
not more than repair that injury An alb
| surd amount of publicity has been be-
| slowed upon the Booths at their solicit
| tation by the newspapers. The best re-
| turn that they can now make is to take
| themselves personally out of observation,
concentrating upon a disinterested en-
| ployment of the forces under their COM
mands the energy which they have been
dissipating in public clamor against one
another.
1t is proper to say before taking leave
| of this unpleasant subject that from the
moment of their separation the father has
appeared to the people of this country
a considerably more Objectionable person
than the son. The original feeling was
that the latter had good reason for dis
trusting a leadership which appeared TO
hold American ways, procivities and in
| stitutions in contempt and If he had been
content with justifying his action to the
American people by a simple record of
good works instead of trying to make
them a party to the quarrel he might
have had their undivided sympathy. As
1t Is, the strongest desire of all sensible
persons with reference to the whole
Booth family is that its pickering, or, at
least, the noise thereof should cease.
The Irish judge delivered q valuable SEN
tence in sufficiently lucid terms when he
said to the boisterous culpnt: II want
nothing from you but silence, and mighty
! of that"