New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-18
THE SALVATION BOOTHS.

Now that William Booth and his son Balling-
ton, after protracted negotiations conducted
through their plenipotentiares. have had an In
terview and separated without either breaking
the peace or piecng the break, we hope that
they will for time efface themselves as far as
possible The witnesses In whose presence
father and son finally consented to meet are
presumably prepared to refute any misrepre-
sensations which may emanate from overzeal-
GUS partisans Of either, and no good reason
therefore appears 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 adapted to that supreme end.
II must be admitted that such course of con-
duct would subject them to a severe strain; but
they ought at least to attempt 1t, remembering
what they have caused countless others to en-
dure in recent years by their incessant strife.
1t is natural that they should suppose the whole
country to be waiting in breathless suspense
for the result of the elder Booths visit If, as
seems to be the fact each honestly deems him
self the most important individual now living
in the world But in the interest Of truth and
religion we must assure them that such su-
premacy really belongs to neither
How much good the Salvation Army was do
ing before the Booths began their open quarrel
there Is no means Of calculating Our strong
impression has been that the total was large.
But It is impossible to suppose that the exhibi-
ton Of evil passions and colossal vanity which
has been going on during the last two years
has not done an immense amount OF harm. II
has been q constant betrayal, under the eyes o.!
those most likely TO be unfortunately Influenced
thereby, Of the cause to which these spectacular
professors Of the Gospel Of Christ are osten-
sby devoted. long period Of pure and peace
full effort to raise the fallen, strengthen the
weak, succor the afflicted and evangel.ze the
world will not more than repair that injury.
An absurd amount of publicity has been be-
slowed upon the Booths at their solicitation by
the newspapers. The best return that they can
now make is to take themselves personally out
Of observation. concentrating upon disinter-
ested employment: Of the forces under their
commands the energy which they have been
dissipating In public clamor against one an
other.
1t Is proper to say before taking leave Of this
unpleasant subjec: that from the moment Of
their separation the father has appeared to the
people Of this country a considerably more OBJ
jectionable person than the son. The original
feeling was that the latter had good reason for
dlstrustlng a leadership which appeared TO hold
American ways, proclivities and Institutions In
contempt and II 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 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 the least. the noise thereof,
should cease. The Irish Judge delivered valu-
able sentence in sufficiently lucid terms when
he said to the bolsterous cuprit II want moth
ling from you but silence, and mighty little Of
that"