Evening star., 1898-02-11
Founder of Salvation Army Received
With Enthusiasm.
new YORK AVENUE CHURCH CROWDED
Senators, Representatives and Other
Distinguished Men Present.
GENERAL BOOTHS ADDRESS


cts to hear General William Booth, the
head of the Salvation Army, who then be-
gan the series of meetings to be held in
the United States in the interest of
the army work. Before the hour ar
rived for the meeting to begin the
church was entirely filled, and the doors
were closed, much to the disappointment
OF large number of people who had come
to the church in the hope that they would
be able to gain admission after the ticket
holders had been seated. Such was the in
terest, however, in General Booth and the
cause which he represents that practically
all those who received invitations availed
themselves Of the opportunity to hear and
see the founder of the Salvation Army.
A large number of those invited were ac-
companied by ladies, and in the audience
were many members Of the Senate and
House Of Representatives and men promi-
nent in the social and business life of this
city. General Booth and the members of
his staff, Mr.. John w. Foster, who was
chairman Of the meeting, and Rev Wal
lace Radcliffe d. D., pastor of the church,
occupied seats on the platform. There was
an enthusiastic demonstration when Gen.
eral Booth entered the church, and also
when he took his seat on the platform
which was renewed with still greater spirit
when he arose to make his address.
Introduced by Mr.. Foster.
The familiar hymn, "All Hail the Power
of Jesus Name,' which was given out by
Commander Booth-Tucker, was sung with
great animation, although the participation
by the audience in the singing was appar-
emily not considered by Commander Tucker
to be sufficiently hearty, and so he pre-
faced the singing of the second verse by an
appeal to sound it out in genuine Wash
ington style. After prayer by Mrs. Booth
Tucker Mr.. Foster made a short address
introducing General Booth. He spoke in
appreciative terms of the work that had
been done by the head of the Salvation
Army, and said it seemed appropriate that
the farewell tour of the country in the in
terest of his great work should be begun in
the capital city.
After the applause had subsidized which
greeted General Booth as he came forward
to speak he expressed his thanks for the
kindness and the heartiness of his recep-
ton. and then. in his characteristic style.
proceeded to speak on the subject which is
dear to his heart, the Salvation Army and
Its work. General Booth is not an orator
in the strict sense of that term, but he
has the happy faculty Of securing and hold
ing the attention of an audience He i'm
presses his hearers as being very much in
earnest. and he relieves the mental ten
sion which his presentation Of such SUBJ
Ject requires on the part of an audience
by telling some story or incident or max
ing SOulc WHICH Is somewhat nu-
morous and which has the effect, so to
speak, Of resting the mind of the listeners
SO that when he resumes his theme he car
ries his audience with him with renewed
interest and attention.
Not Personal Tribute.
He said. In the course of his remarks,
that he was not vain enough to suppose the
reception which had been accorded him
was a personal tribute. He believed it was
on account Of the work which he repre-
sented. He urged his hearers to judge the
Salvation Army movement by its works,
and thought they would find something in
it to praise. He added:
Judge us by what, by the grace of God
we have been able to accomplish, not by
what other people think about us. There
are traders In the weaknesses of humanity
who do not like our work because it inter
feres somewhat with their business And
yet when was coming through New York
I was told that there are in that city forty
two low drinking places where our people
are welcomed to sing, to pray and to sell
their War Cries.
"And 1 would say to you, do not judge us
by our creed, though l think 1t is sound
Do not judge us by our methods, although
think they are good. They differ from the
methods of the Baptists, the Methodists
and the Presbyterians, but 1 think they
are good methods We change them when
it is necessary to do so. The Salyationist
breaches. teaches, talks whenever and
wherever he gets the chance. He prays
and he believes in his works. l do not
claim that the Salvation Army is perfect;
1 do not claim that we are the only ones
who are doing good. No, there are bands
of Others
Our work is among the great un-
churched. In London, with it's population
Of 5000, 600, there are half a million who
have never crossed the door of church
In Berlin there are about 2,OO0,0O0, and
church accommodation for about 60 900
Fifty per cent of the people of the United
States do not go to church. We send Bibles
send more of them-to the people in the So
called heather countries, but what about
the heather at our own doors? We are
after the poor. the down-trodden the dis
solute. OF course there some people
you can't save, or, at least, 1t is exceeding
ly difficult to get at their hearts. Still, l
believe that some Of these Salvationists
would try to save the devil himself If they
'could get at him.
Forces Widely Dispersed.
eve have preached to the people Of Aus
tralia, in Canada, among your forests of
the west, in India and Java, to Hottentot
and Zulu, among the wicked of our great
cities, even to the very gates of hell we
pursue crime. All Of this has been done
in thirty-two years. Only thirty-two years
ago the army was founded, and then 1
stood alone in the wicked section Of tho
metropolis Of the British empire, and peo-
pie fled from me when told them Of what
l proposed to do.
Some people have an idea that Gen.
Booth has had fine, high old time of it.
But we worked! Fourteen years we strug-
gled, and then the movement overfiowed
in every direction, to the north as far as
Iceland. and / tell some of my geograph-
ical friends that If they do not hurry we
shall reach the north pole before they do
Today we have workers In forty-five coun-
tries. There are 5, 100 societies: 13, 900 paid
officers; 1000 bandsmen; 10000 unpaid Off
GERS. We preach in forty languages, have
fifty-one publications, of which twenty
eight are newspapers printed in fifteen diff
ferent languages, and having circulation
of a million copies a week.
The Social Work.
In speaking of the social work of the
army, he said that there are 415 institu-
tions where this work was carried on and
that there are 96 food depots, where 200, 600
persons are fed daily and 1900 are shell
tered every night There are GO homes for
fallen women through which cO ono orir1c