General Booth and Socialism.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 248, 21 March 1888, Page 9

General Booth and Socialism.

We (" Pall Mall Gazette ") gladly welcome the Avise and liberal spirit in which General Booth spoke on the subject of Socialism at the Grecian Theatre ;— The Socialists were said to have a plan for the raising of the race apart from religion. He took that opportunity of saying thafe he respected all Socialists who were in earnest according to their lights. Ho would not utter a word against them; hie sorrow and anger were, on the contrary, reserved for thoso who did not care and did not feel for the appalling amount of vice and misery by which their daily life was surrounded. For himself he did n6f) care where people went so long aa they were anxiously striving after tho good and the true. He was pleased to hear that day from an officer of the Army who had jusfj come from Belgium, which hafl hitherto been practically closed to them, that a field was now opened for their exertions in thab country amongst the miners and ironworkers, many of whom, though Socialists and atheists, were ready to give them a welcome. If General Booth and his devoted followers were always in this vein, tho " Socialists and Atheists " of this country would give them a heartier welcome than we fear they sometimes receive at present.