The times., 1899-08-21
CHANGING MEMS HEARTS
Teachers of the Gospel Turning
Evil Into Good.
Major Gardner, of the Volunteers of
America, Tells u Congregation of
the Progress of EvangeIisiic work
Refers to the Members of the Or
der the Sheep Dogs of Churches.

Major Frederick Gardner in command of
the organization of the Volunteers of
America in this City. addressed large
congregation last night in the Maryland
Avenue Baptist Church. His subject was
the work which the volunteers have so far
accomplished in the United States and
the necessity for continuation of evan
gelistic endeayor, especially among ths
criminal classes. Major Gardner thought
population OF a great city which the
churches could not.
'It is among these people," he said, THAT
the work must be carried on They form
large and powerful portion of our citizens
who viii become either menace or help
in the solving of the problems of govern
ment and social reform which We will some
day be called upon TO meet"
The Volunteers of America are incorpor-
ated under the laws OF the State of New
York as religious military organization
under the leadership of General and Mrs
Ballington Booth. "A distinctive feature
of our organization, said Major Gardner
is that it is r-denominational, work
ing in close affiliation with all churches
The Volunteers preach to the masses on the
and those who have never used the name
of Almighty God except In vain. The re-
suits of these efforts on the part OF our
workers are increases in the congregations
of the city churches. We start them on
the way and the churches eventually re-
ceive them at the altar 1t is wonderful
the number of conversions to the religion OF
Jesus Christ that are made at the curb
stone. The degraded and worldly men and
! night affor night fpr
weeks with no apparent good having been
! accomplished but it has been done never
| theless The Volunteers have been very
! happily called the sheep dogs of the
churches They look after the weakest in
! the flock good shepherd dog should.
| The members of the organization are al
| lowed to belong to any Christian church
and still retain their membership in the
Volunteers. Any member of the church in
good standing is entitled to be admitted
to the Volunteers of America.
LAS home missionary society the Or
ganiZation is admitted TO be most pow
erful adjunct to the established churches.
! The work we are doing is acknowledged
by the ministers OF the gospel to be great
| help. The number OF people Of the classes
in which the organization is working is
not appreciated by the majority of those
here tonight simply because it is seldom
| that you are thrown into contact with
them. 1t is here wherein lies the second
distinctive feature of the volunteers-the
work among the criminal classes. Three
years ago, when Mrs. Booth first appeared
on the platform OF the chapel in the State
prison at Sing Sing. New York marked the
| beginning of the movement. The work
has spread very rapidly and embraces at
the present time nine State prisons in this
| country. The phiianthropic part of the
| work among prisoners has resulted in con-
siderable good.
''The Volunteers extend to these men ana
| women their especial help. The former
prisoner finds 1t difficult TO lead an up
right life with the taint of the prison or
him, and he will, in a majority OF cases
take up life OF crime without help be-
ing extended Our object is to show for
mer eonvicts that they have still something
to live for. The Volunteer Prisoners
| League, under the management of Mrs
I Booth, is rapidly becoming source o.
admiration in the Christian world, and it:
practicability is acknowledged by the bes
| authorities in the land. Judges, wardens
and chaplalns are almost unanimous IL
their endorsement of the plan of the Lit
tie Mother as Mrs. Booth is called, no
only among Christians who may have reaC
OF her work, but by the hundreds of con
yicts who have received her help and en-
| couragement, and who know by experience
the great blessings which she has brought
to them. Through the efforts of this wom-
an. men have been saved who would other.
wise have drifted into crime. The more
criminals the greater the number of rob.
berries and murders"
Major Gardner spoke Of the organization
of the Volunteers of America, which ha!
been established in this city. Already
he said, there have been many instance.
OF good results of the reform work among
prisoners in the District jail Our efforts
are telling. and we expect to accomplish
much more good. This is the first tim,
the movement has extended south of Balti
more. The officers and members of the or
ganization arrived here on June 19, an,
Immediately commenced the work whicl
had been mapped out