The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-21

term him = Nauo1eon since. they claim.
his genius for evolving vast army
from practically nothing far transeellls
that Of the conquerof~ of Europe, VINO
had ali the resources of France al ms
command The warrior, they say rep
resented destruction disintegratlon'
the soldier 81. peace stands for the up
building Of fallen homes and the even
tuat eradication or poverty and crime
NapoIaon's armies vanished AXE deN
before the sun General Booths bat
talions are steadily aug1nenting ana
lighting with a perennial vigor born ot
conviction and faith.
If it be true. as has been asserted,
that the Salvation Army is really an
.-Irnperiun in imperio''-a government
within "a aovernrnant-thera is certain
Iy no doubt that the Old general may
wen Be styled 'inperator." Although
seVenty-tVr0 years OF age having been
born in Nottingham, England. april ID.
1929. he lis stiH the actual and dominant
head of the army and all its affiliated
institutions. He created the army. he
supported IL in its vicIssirudes. he has
devoted his energies, his income, his
very life. 70 the carrying cut Of III
purposes.
Nearly hair a century has elapsed
to be exact. forty-nine years-sinee the
Rev. William Booth entered upon his
first pastorare and began his career ais
"a rayfvalist He was then connected
with the Methodist church, but in 1851
resigned in order to devote hiIuse-
solely TO evangeiistic labOrs- The SO
cial work bv which the destitute poo
are reached and which has since he
come such a feature of the SalEatiot
Army was begun in 1870 by the estat
lishment OF q large soup kitchen
lNhfrschapel. London. but the feunda
ti0ns for the army were practicaIlr
laid IN 1855. Booth began undenomina
tibuaI mission work IN the CSarrick the
ater. London. and at that time. fort
years ago. when asked where he expec
Ed to get his workers and helpers. an
swered ia words that have since provec
prophetic. '-F'rom the saloons and
dancehouses."
1t was in 1873 that his Christian
mission came to be STYLED the saliva
rl0n Army. its general superintendent
became simply its general and military
titles were first employed The milf
tary form was simply q growth conse-
quent upon the increase Of the depart
ments of its work. and the title Of
general was bestowed upon its or
ganizer-not assumed by him, as is
generally believed.
The army organization has proved
eminentiy fit and successful. as shown
by statistics. the army itself having
grown until at the present time II in
clu1es nearly 1900 societies esta biished
in forty-1ve countries and colonies. un-
der the command OF more than 5000
officers. men and women. detailed for
the work
The military method. with its titles.
suggestion of discipline and organiza-
ton. proved q taking one with the
people the founder Of the army most
desired 10 reach. and in 1879 its official
organ was established under the name
Of The War Cry. a paper the profits of
which like those from the generals I
subsequently published book. Darkest
England and the Way Out" have been [
devoted 10 promoting the great work
a year later the salvation Army be
came international in character when /
work was commenced IN America and /
Australia In 1881 General Booths cid |
est daughter Catherine, initiated the /
work i'm France. which was the real /
AIRY operations Of the army now carried /
on in many lands The headquarters !
were then in London. as they stiu con- /
rinue 10 be- But. while money flows Il
Londonward from am parts Of the /
world. it is quickly disbursed again to I
the four quarters Of the globe. In the /
sense that il had its origin in England i
the salvation Army is an English fnsti- 1
tuition but one Of the generals aims i'm 4
latter years has been to make il inter 1
national as we'll as undanominatioual-
In 1855 the army started the purity 4
agitation and presented TO the house /
OF commons monster petition with \
$4,000 signatures c0iled Up in a roll /
containing TWO miles Of paper and |
bound together with The army colors.
The ar1nys interest in the .'submerg-
"a. starving. vicious and criminal 4
classes. had been apparent from the \
first but found its emphatic expression 4
IN General Booths really wonderful 4
book. In Darkest England and the 4
Way Out" first published in 1890. and \
which attracted SO much attention that Il
edition after edition was taken as il I
came from the press It was in this /
book THAI the vast colonization schemes /
tor the relief Of the starving poor of A
Euglaud's cities were outlined and 4
shown to be practicable By unstinted /
use OF money and energies devoted TO
that end The general declared that if
his City colony farm colony and over
sea colony were established in twenty
years no man. woman or child in Eng
land Willng 10 work would be uneru-
ployed- The colonization scheme was
originally planned for the benefit Of the
British poor and for regulating unset
tied tracts within English dominion
only, but an American colonization
plan has been successfully initiated
and placed on the road TO prosperity.
by these means it IS possible to re-
lieve congested districts OF large cities
OF their very poor and place them on
farms wrested from sterillty. where
they can have chance to become self
supporting producers instead az help
less, hopeless dead weights in the body
polite The most notable Of these colo
mics. perhaps. is the FortNAmlty set !
Element ia Colorado. which. though es-
rablished only three years ago. is rap
idly becoming self supporting and is
credit to its founders
In the year Of his great triumph Cen
erai Booth lost by death his devoted
wife and helpmeet. to whom he had
been united thfrry-five years Mrs
Booth as all who knew her testified
z-l Ea-- u-o--- in h 49, L.