The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1920-03-20
FRANKLIN K. LANE.

the confidence of the common people
like this Salvation Army has won then
in recent years. | am going to pull
off my coat and do some real work
that will show where | stand when ii
m to weighing the homely, unos-
tentatious and highly practical relief
methods of this amazing band of work
ers. | heard the call. The problems OF
the poor are there to be solved. and
they can use my poor efforts perhaps.
SO | have answered the call.
Il won't do much talking in the com
ing drive. | will do real work, and
when | do talk l don't want to talk to
anyone but actual workers. There will
be no speech making by me to those
who might be curious to hear a former
cabinet officer in action, but who are
not interested in the work of the Sal
walton Army. l shall talk to workers
and only to workers. The day for ora
tory in such matters has gon We are
down to brass lacks.
81 think l owe it as a citizen of
America to show my understanding
and appreciation of the helpful work
fthe Salvation Army is doing in its res
cue homes, maternity hospitals, free
clinics. industrial homes, fresh air
farms and tenement house relief work.
my testimony is not needed, how
ever, in this matter. There are 2,0O0,-
go pr 3 100000 of young Americans
who went into the recent war either
fu1a that the Salvation Army ex-
listed or having no use for its methods
" they did know of it. So far as I can
H1Qarn these men came out of that wal
.ilaapimous on one subject-and that
Naas that the Salvation Army under
stood the average man, knew how to
deal with him and simply delivered
the goods on the 100 per cent basis.
There is no division of opinion on
hat one subject. There could have
been no greater test for the Salvation
Army than the test it received in the
war. So after all I am merely adding
any voice to the mighty chorus | have
referred to when l say that the Saliva
ton Army has long since won the right
to make an appeal to the rest of US
for its maintenance, and | am sure ii
will not make that appeal In vain.
1.-THE Salvation Army n yea g
abandoned its old custom of begging
in the streets the year around so that
It's workers could devote all of their
time and attention to the poor. 1t
makes an annual appeal each May.
Personally | know of no greater bull
wark that could be raised against the
rising tide of human unrest than to
strengthen the hands of this band of
self sacrificing Christian toilers who
have the confidence of all men and wo-
men, regardless of race, creed, color or
position in life. / think 1t is impor-
tant for the interests of our advancing
civilization that such a practical and
wholesome work be stimulated and
maintained to the utmost.
"They say there are no down and
ou,ers' any more. Personally ! do not
believe it, or if l did believe ii l would
know that the abnormal times have
swung the pendulum back too far on
one side-and hat it will swing far
to the other side directly. There will
always he a bottom to society. The
poor will always be with US. We owe
1t to our fellow men to know our neigh
Dor and share his troubles and prob
lens, and only by that method can we.
In all fairness and righteousness, keep
the scales e in this life.
II am proud to face the problems of
the poor with the Salvation Army in
such a trying hour, and | hope that
American men and women will stand
with me in the work ahead of US. But
they must be workers. | shall have no
time to entertain mere observers"