The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-04-15
FRANKLIN X. LANE.

the confidence of the common people
like this Salvation Army has won then
in recent years. l am going TO put
! off my coat and do some real Worl
| that viii show where / stand when j
comes to weighing the homely, unos
tentatiOus and highly practical relic
methods of this amazing band of work
ers. heard the call. The problems o
| the poor are there to be solved. ant
| they can use my poor efforts PERHAPS
SO | have answered the call.
81 won't do much talking in the com
| ing drive l will do real work, and
when | do talk | don't want to talk to
anyone but actual workers. There viii
be no speech making by me to those
who might be curious to hear former
cabinet officer in action, but who arc
not interested in the work of the Sal.
walton Army. | shall talk TO workers
and only to workers The day fer ora
tory in such matters has gone. We are
down TO brass tacks.
II think | owe it as a citizen of
America to show my understanding
and appreciation of the helpful work
the Salvation Army is doing in its res.
cue homes, maternity hospitals, free
clinics, Industrial homes, fresh ar
farms and tenement house relief work
My testimony is not needed, how.
ever, in this matter There are 1000
coo or 100000 of young Americans
who went into the recent war either
unaware that the Salvation ArmyNex-
listed or having no use for its methods
If they did know of it, So far as l can
learn these men came out of that war
unanimous on one subiect-and that
was that the Salvation Army under
stood the average man, knew how to
deal with him and simply delivered
the goods on the 100per cent basis.
"Thcre is no division of opinion on
that one subject. There could have
been no greater test for the Salvat io1
Army than the test it received in the
war. SO after all | am merely adding
my voice to the mighty chorus I 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 l am sure ii
will not make that appeal in vain.
The Salvation Army one year ago
abandoned its old custom of begging
in the streets the year around so that
its workers could devote all OF their
time and attention to the poor. 1t
makes an annual appeal each May,
Personally I know of no greater bul.
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 it 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
cutters any more. Personally do not
believe It, or if did believe II would
know that the abnormal times have
swung the pendulum back too far on
one sidc-and that 1t 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
it 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 even in this life.
81 am proud to face the problems OF
the poor with the Salvation Army in
such a trying hour, and l 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"