V WORSE REMEDIES. 193 



credit for any good that the Army system has 

 effected, he must be prepared to bear blame for 

 its inherent evils. As it seems to me, that has 

 happened to him which sooner or later happens 

 to all despots: he has become the slave of his 

 own creation — the prosperity and glory of the 

 soul-saving machine have become the end, instead 

 of a means, of soul-saving; and to maintain these 

 at the proper pitch, the " General " is led to do 

 things which the Mr. Booth of twenty years ago 

 would probably have scorned. 



And those who desire, as I most emphatically 

 desire, to be just to Mr. Booth, however badly 

 they may think of the working of the organization 

 he has founded, will bear in mind that some as- 

 tute backers of his probably care little enough 

 for Salvationist religion; and, perhaps, are not very 

 keen about many of Mr. Booth's projects. I have 

 referred to the rubbing of the hands of the So- 

 cialists over Mr. Booth's success; * but, unless I 

 err greatly, there are politicians of a certain school 

 to whom it affords still greater satisfaction. Con- 

 sider what electioneering agents the captains of 

 the Salvation Army, scattered through all our 

 towns, and directed from a political " bureau " in 

 London, would make! Think how political ad- 

 versaries could be harassed by our local attorney — 

 " tribune of the people," I mean; and how a trou- 

 blesome man, on the other side, could be " hunted 

 • See Letter VIII. 



