Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-30
TRYING TO CURE
SPIRITUAL POVERTY
Salvation Army Head Says Or
ganization Is Needed More
Than Ever.

NEW YORK, Dec. 30.-"What is the
function of the Salvation Army to-
day-this day so prolific IN all sorts
of organized charities. municipal
lodging houses and homes for the
friendless?"
That's the question I put straight
at General Bramwell Booth, the new
commander-in-ch of the Salvation
Army, who has just finished his first
visit to the United States. The gem
eral was giving me his farewell inter-
view to the American people.
You mean, has the true function
of the Salvation Army expired?'" the
general caught me up quickly.
mo, a hundred-fold mol" he ex-
claimed. Instead, it has just truly
begunl we are needed today more
than ever we were in the past time,
because all these countless uplift or
carnations you mention are trying,
In the main, to alleviate only the
material poverty of the lowest layers
of society; we alone are trying to cure
the spiritual poverty of these pressed
down strata. And in this way, and
in no other, mark you, can society be
rebuilt The body is more than rail-
ment and the spirit IS more than
flesh
mot that we don't heed the ma
terial poverty; we do, as every one
knows. Indeed, SO great are our eff
forts to alleviate IL that many think
II is our sole purpose, and often, when
we ask for contributions. we are met
with the phrase: We'll, ] don't be-
lieve in charity
Neither do we, you seei
Charity perpetuates the very mis-
cries 1t would cure! We believe tina.
pow srty and crime need not-must not
be perpetuated as evil growths in
the social organism. We want to
get down to the very root of society,
whence it draws nourishment-in per-
sonal characterl
"ChaIacLer As the very basis Of So
ciety, is it not?" he asked.
lis there any reform, political, legal
or social, that can be made workable
If the men behind il are not honest
and upright2 IL mans character is
dead within him, 1t is just as hope
less tc work political machinery
Alright as II Is 10 try to run a steam
engine with dead Steam.
And SO pessimists often complain
that all political reforms are useless,
because, they say, you cannot change
human nature
THAT is just what we do! We go
far below the superficial work OF po-
litical and social reformers. We re-
form men!
Religion Is the only instrument
which will serve this purpose. We
often define religion simply by that
one word-'character. 1t is charac-
ter 80 pure and steadfast that 1t is
exemplified in every act of mans
life-in his work and his play, his
eating and drinking, his myriad re-
lations with other men.
such is the religious conviction
which we carry to the poor, the out
cast and the fallen. Many people
smile at some of our methods, |
know. Yet there is definite pur-
pose In each of them. Our uniform
is nothing but a plain advertisement,
meant to attract attention and make
people think.
"And II works. Our singing of
hymns on the street corners is equal
ly practical. II Is an emotional out
let for the poor who have not the
diversions of the wel1-to-do. II draws
toward higher and nobler things the
emotional force of these people which
they might otherwise And vent in
dram-shop brawls. or worse.
I'm this we are performing work
which is absolutely vital to civiliza-
ton. Last year in London we sup
piled the poor and ontcast with three
million meals We furnished nights
lodging to nearly half million per-
sons. II those meals had not been
eaten, If those homeless ones had
had to sleep in an alley, think how
barbarous conditions in London
would have been.
"But-and this. we think, Is the
greatest distinction of the Salvation
Army-.it Is not as charity that we
do this work Those we help are al
ways expected to pay for our aid.
And we teach them In future not
only to support themselves, but to
give themselves to the cause of God
which is the service of man!
"And, with but slight expenses for
administration, we have saved thou
sands. 1t is because we know, from
experience, that in the great major
ity of cases they are reformed, not
for a week, but for life, that we be-
lieve the misery of the masses can
finally be done away with"
That's the function of the Saliva
ton Army today Do you think Its
function Is overi