SALVATION ARMY ORGIES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3554, 29 November 1882, Page 4

SALVATION ARMY ORGIES.

The Salvation Army continue to monopolise a large share of public attention. It cannot, however, be said that they are gaining ground amongst .thoughtful or religious people. The more, indeed, the latter see of the Army's proceedings the greater becomes their disapprobation. During the Moody and Sankey revival the increase of isnanity was unpleasantly noticeable, but since General Booth took to what the poor call ' carrying on' it has become simply prodigious. Those who have noticed that well-nigh delirious excitement pervading certain sorts of revival meetings will easily comprehend. No week mind could stand it long. Tho other day the Army held a great gala in honour of having acquired the large buildings known as the Grecian Theatre or Eagle Tavern. This house, situated in one of the poorest and most densely populated quarters of London, has provided honest and healthy, if somewhat melo-dramatic, entertainments for many thousands of hard working families, and the drinking shops of the district are so far the great gainers by its extermination. The Salvationists, in point of fact, are likely to do little or no good here. Their best visitors come from a distance. City road folks are notorious for sound sense, and they themselves cannot understand why they should be thus deprived of their theatre by a lot of noisy eccentrics who, though nominally the friends of law and order, yet turn night into day with braying brass bands and yelling 'hoodlums,' and rejoice in having attracted to a poor, yet hitherto fairly respectable neighbourhood all the pickpockets of Whitechapel and cut-throats from Hatcliffe Highway. A friend of mine attended the opening festivities ot the Grecian, and was subsequently introduced by Mr Booth to one of his most interesting, and— be it added —recent recruits —a converted burglar. ' I may,' said this gentleman to me afterwards, ' have wronged the repentant creature, but all the time he was decribing to me how he " found Jesus,' his eyes were fixed on my gold watch chain with covetous eyes.' When he entered, I had to tell the General that not all the conversion he was capable of would induce me to accompany the erstwhile "burgling one" five yards down a lonely lane on a dark night.

The proceedings at this eventful re-open-ing of the Grecian Mush from all accounts have been more entertaining than edifying. There was a consecration song sweetly sung by the Miss Booths with the refrain 'I will be Thine,' varied after the usual profane manner of the Salvationists, by tbe substitution of the words, ' the Eagle is mine' in the last verse, and there were of course the customary groamngs, hallelujah shoutings and amen volly-firings by which the Army are in the habit of rehearsing, what they call spiritual —but which, it is to be feared, is occasionally spirituous—excitement. Amongst the incidents of the meeting was the spirited rendering of a new song by ' Major' Smith, with the attractive title, ' Blood and Fire.' The c Major' was once a godless and ill-paid acrobat, but is now saved and draws (what he admits to be) a ' very tidy salary ' as a Salvation officer. He accompanied the ditty by jumping up and down like a jack-in-the-box, and the effect, we ought all to be glad to hear, was ' most humorous.' The c Major' disposed of General Booth, introduced an elderly lady named Annie Taylor, who announced with obvious pride that she had been sent to gaol over 400 times for drunkenness. This statement was greeted with warm applause. Indeed, as a convert who afterwards addressed the meeting too pithily remarked, ' the bigger the beast yer hare the better yer liked 'ere.' A real live murderer, could one be caught, would be quite a ' star.' I got a copy of the Army's journal, ' The War Cry,' to send to New Zealand yesterday, and it lies before me now. Though not so outrageously blasphemous as it used to be, it is still very bad. Here is a bulletin from Rochdale: —' On Sunday nine souls came to Jesus. One young man seemed in great trouble, but went home penitent. He was killed next morning. Hallelujah! We shall meet him in Heaven." For cold callousness this surely can't be managed, but it is scarcely so revolting as the following.-— ' Five souls secured yesterday. One of them had left two dead babies to come and be saved.' Drunkenness apparently does not materially interfere with conversion, for ' Capt.' Lizzie Smith, after describing a real blood and fire ' free-and-easy,' relates how her Captain caught a ' poor drunkard very far gone,' and never left him till he fell on his knees crying for pardon. 1 Whilst wobbling about 'at the meroyseafc' this interesting but inebriated recruit, as might be expected, wras ' much affected' (i.e., in the maudlin stage of intoxication). What happened when he came to himself is not stated, but I sincerely hope his joy did not affect him in the same serious manner as it did a poor fellow described by ' Lieut.' Punter, who was so violently exhilarated by salvation that he ' narrowly oscaped chooking.'—London correspondent Christchurch Telegraph,