evolution and ethics and other essays-第30章

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will　hardly　save　society。

　　　　*　See　p。　100

In　estimating　the　social　and　political　influence　which　the　Salvation
Army　is　likely　to　exert；　it　is　important　to　reflect　that　the　officers
（pledged　to　blind　obedience　to　their　〃General〃）　are　not　to　confine
themselves　to　the　functions　of　mere　deacons　and　catechists　（though；
under　a　〃General〃　like　Cyril；　Alexandria　knew　to　her　cost　what　even
they　could　effect）；　they　are　to　be　〃tribunes　of　the　people；〃　who　are
to　act　as　their　gratuitous　legal　advisers；　and；　when　law　is　not
sufficiently　effective；　the　whole　force　of　the　army　is　to　obtain　what
the　said　tribunes　may　conceive　to　be　justice；　by　the　practice　of
ruthless　intimidation。　Society；　says　Mr。　Booth；　needs　〃mothering〃；　and
he　sets　forth；　with　much　complacency；　a　variety　of　〃cases；〃　by　which
we　may　estimate　the　sort　of　〃mothering〃　to　be　expected　at　his　parental
hands。　Those　who　study　the　materials　thus　set　before　them　will；　I
think；　be　driven　to　the　conclusion　that　the　〃mother〃　has　already
proved　herself　a　most　unscrupulous　meddler；　even　if　she　has　not　fallen
within　reach　of　the　arm　of　the　law。

Consider　this　〃case。〃　A；　asserting　herself　to　have　been　seduced　twice；
〃applied　to　our　people。　We　hunted　up　the　man；　followed　him　to　the
country；　＇253＇　threatened　him　with　public　exposure；　and　forced　from
him　the　payment　to　his　victim　of　＇Pounds＇　60　down；　an　allowance　of
＇Pounds＇　1　a　week；　and　an　insurance　policy　on　his　life　for　＇Pounds＇
450　in　her　favour〃　（p。　222）　。

Jedburgh　justice　this。　We　〃constitute　ourselves　prosecutor；　judge；
jury；　sheriff's　officer；　all　in　one；〃　we　〃practice　intimidation　as
deftly　as　if　we　were　a　branch　of　another　League；　and；　under　threat　of
exposure；〃　we　〃extort　a　tolerably　heavy　hush…money　in　payment　of　our
silence。　〃

Well；　really；　my　poor　moral　sense　is　unable　to　distinguish　these
remarkable　proceedings　of　the　new　popular　tribunate　from　what；　in
French；　is　called　chantage　and；　in　plain　English；　blackmailing。　And
when　we　consider　that　anybody；　for　any　reason　of　jealousy；　or　personal
spite；　or　party　hatred；　might　be　thus　〃hunted；〃　〃followed；〃
〃threatened；〃　and　financially　squeezed　or　ruined；　without　a　particle
of　legal　investigation；　at　the　will　of　a　man　whom　the　familiar　charged
with　the　inquisitorial　business　dare　not　hesitate　to　obey；　surely　it
is　not　unreasonable　to　ask　how　far　does　the　Salvation　Army；　in　its
〃tribune　of　the　people〃　aspect；　differ　from　a　Sicilian　Mafia？　I　am　no
apologist　of　men　guilty　of　the　acts　charged　against　the　person　who
yet；　I　think；　might　be　as　fairly　called　a　〃victim；〃　in　this　case；　as
his　partner　in　wrong…doing。　It　is　possible　that；　in　so　peculiar　a
case；　Solomon　himself　might　have　been　puzzled　＇254＇　to　apportion　the
relative　moral　delinquency　of　the　parties。　However　that　may　be；　the
man　was　morally　and　legally　bound　to　support　his　child；　and　any　one
would　have　been　justified　in　helping　the　woman　to　her　legal　rights；
and　the　man　to　the　legal　consequences　（in　which　exposure　is　included）
of　his　fault。

The　action　of　the　〃General〃　of　the　Salvation　Army　in　extorting　the
heavy　fine　he　chose　to　impose　as　the　price　of　his　silence；　however
excellent　his　motives；　appears　to　me　to　be　as　immoral　as；　I　hope；　it
is　illegal。

So　much　for　the　Salvation　Army　as　a　teacher　of　questionable　ethics　and
of　eccentric　economics；　as　the　legal　adviser　who　recommends　and
practices　the　extraction　of　money　by　intimidation；　as　the　fairy
godmother　who　proposes　to　〃mother〃　society；　in　a　fashion　which　is　not
to　my　taste；　however　much　it　may　commend　itself　to　some　of　Mr。　Booth's
supporters。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

＇255＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III

　　　　　　　The　〃Times；〃　December　11th；　1890

Sir；When　I　first　addressed　you　on　the　subject　of　the　projected
operations　of　the　Salvation　Army；　all　that　I　knew　about　that　body　was
derived　from　the　study　of　Mr。　Booth's　book；　from　common　repute；　and
from　occasional　attention　to　the　sayings　and　doings　of　his　noisy
squadrons；　with　which　my　walks　about　London；　in　past　years；　have　made
me　familiar。　I　was　quite　unaware　of　the　existence　of　evidence
respecting　the　present　administration　of　the　Salvation　forces；　which
would　have　enabled　me　to　act　upon　the　sagacious　maxim　of　the　American
humourist；　〃Don't　prophesy　unless　you　know。〃　The　letter　you　were　good
enough　to　publish　has　brought　upon　me　a　swarm　of　letters　and
pamphlets。　　Some　favour　me　with　abuse；　some　thoughtful　correspondents
warmly　agree　with　me；　and　then　proceed　to　point　out　how　much　worthier
certain　schemes　of　their　own　are　of　my　friend's　support；　some　send
valuable　encouragement；　for　which　I　offer　my　hearty　thanks；　and　ask
them　to　excuse　any　more　special　acknowledgment。　But　that　which　I　find
most　to　the　purpose；　just　now；　is　the　revelation　made　by　some　of　the
documents　which　have　reached　me；　of　a　fact　of　which　I　was　wholly
ignorantnamely；　that　＇256＇　persons　who　have　faithfully　and　zealously
served　in　the　Salvation　Army；　who　express　unchanged　attachment　to　its
original　principles　and　practice；　and　who　have　been　in　close　official
relations　with　the　〃General〃　have　publicly　declared　that　the　process
of　degradation　of　the　organization　into　a　mere　engine　of　fanatical
intolerance　and　personal　ambition；　which　I　declared　was　inevitable；
has　already　set　in　and　is　making　rapid　progress。

It　is　out　of　the　question；　Sir；　that　I　should　occupy　the　columns　of
the　〃Times〃　with　a　detailed　exposition　and　criticism　of　these　pieces
justificatives　of　my　forecast。　I　say　criticism；　because　the　assertions
of　persons　who　have　quitted　any　society　must；　in　fairness；　be　taken
with　the　caution　that　is　required　in　the　case　of　all　ex　parte
statements　of　hostile　witnesses。　But　it　is；　at　any　rate；　a　notable
fact　that　there　are　parts　of　my　first　letter；　indicating　the　inherent
and　necessary　evil　consequences　of　any　such　organization；　which　might
serve　for　abstracts　of　portions　of　this　evidence；　long　since　printed
and　published　under　the　public　responsibility　of　the　witnesses。

Let　us　ask　the　attention　of　your　readers；　in　the　first　place；　to　〃An
ex…Captain's　Experience　of　the　Salvation　Army；〃　by　J。　J。　R。　Redstone；
the　genuineness　of　which　is　guaranteed　by　the　preface　（dated　April
5th；　1888）　which　the　Rev。　Dr。　Cunningham　Geikie　has　supplied。　Mr。
Redstone's　story　is　well　worth　reading　on　its　own　account。

＇257＇　Told　in　simple；　direct　language　such　as　John　Bunyan　might　have
used；　it　permits　no　doubt　of　the　single…minded　sincerity　of　the　man；
who　gave　up　everything　to　become　an　officer　of　the　Salvation　Army；
but；　exhibiting　a　sad　want　of　that　capacity　for　unhesitating　and　blind
obedience　on　which　Mr。　　Booth　lays　so　much　stress；　was　thrown　aside；
pennilessno；　I　am　wrong；　with　2s。　4d。　for　his　last　week's　salaryto
shift；　with　his　equally　devoted　wife；　as　he　best　might。　I　wish　I　could
induce　intending　contributors　to　Mr。　　Booth's　army　chest　to　read　Mr。
Redstone's　story。　I　would　particularly　ask　them　to　contrast　the　pure
simplicity　of　his　plain　tale　with　the　artificial　pietism　and
slobbering　unction　of　the　letters　which　Mr。　Ballington　Booth　addresses
to　his　〃dear　boy〃　（a　married　man　apparently　older　than　himself）；　so
long　as　the　said　〃dear　boy〃　is　facing　brickbats　and　starvation；　as　per
order。

I　confess　that　my　opinion　of　the　chiefs　of　the　Salvation　Army　has　been
so　distinctly　modified　by　the　perusal　of　this　pamphlet　that　I　am　glad
to　be　relieved　from　the　necessity　of　expressing　it。　It　will　be　much
better　that　I　should　cite　a　few　sentences　from　the　preface　written　by
Dr。　Cunningham　Geikie；　who　expresses　warm　admiration　for　the　early　and
uncorrupted　work　of　the　Salvation　Army；　and　cannot　possibly　be　accused
of　prejudice　against　it　on　religious　grounds：

　　　（1）　〃The　Salvation　Army　is　emphatically　a　＇258＇　family　concern。　Mr。
Booth；　senior；　is　General；　one　son　is　chief　of　the　staff；　and　the
remaining　sons　and　daughters　engross　the　other　chief　positions。　It　is
Booth　all　over；　indeed；　like　the　sun　in　your　eyes；　you　can　see　nothing
else　wherever　you　turn。　And；　as　Dr。　Geikie　shrewdly　remarks；　'to　be
the　head　of　a　widely　spread　sect　carries　with　it　many　advantagesnot
all　exclusively　spiritual。'〃

　　　（2）　〃Whoever　becomes　a　Salvation　officer　is　henceforth　a　slave；
helplessly　exposed　to　the　caprice　of　his　superiors。〃

〃Mr。　Redstone　bore　an　excellent　character　both　before　he　entered　the
army　and　when　he　left　it。　To　join　it；　though　a　married　man；　he　gave　up
a　situation　which　he　had　held　for　five　years；　and　he　served　Mr。　Booth
two　years；　working　hard　in　most　difficult　posts。　His　one　fault；　Major
Lawley　tells　us；　was；　that　he　was　'too　straight'that　is；　too　honest；
truthful；　and　manlyor；　in　other　words；　too　real　a　Christian。　Yet
without　trial；　without　formulated　charges；　on　the　strength　of　secret
complaints　which　were　never；　apparently；　tested；　he　was　dismissed　with
less　courtesy　than　most　people　would　show　a　beggarwith　2s。　4d。　for
his　last　week's　salary。　If　there　be　any　mistake　in　this　matter；　I
shall　be　glad　to　learn　it。〃

　　　（3）　Dr。　Geikie　confirms；　on　the　ground　of　information　given
confidentially　by　other　officers；　＇259＇　Mr。　Redstone's　assertion　that
they　are　watched　and　reported　by　spies　from　headquarters。

　　　（4）　Mr。　Booth　refuses　to　guarantee　his　officers　any　fixed　amount　of
salary。　While　he　and　his　family　of　high　officials　live　in　comfort；　if
not　in　luxury；　the　pledged　slaves　whose　devotion　is　the　foundation　of
any　true　success　the　Army　has　met　with　often　have　〃hardly　food　enough
to　sustain　life。　One　good　fellow　frankly　told　me　that　when　he　had
nothing　he　just　went　and　begged。〃

At　this　point；　it　is　proper　that　I　should　interpose　an　apology　for
having　hastily　spoken　of　such　men　as　Francis　of　Assisi；　even　for
purposes　of　warning；　in　connection　with　Mr。　Booth。　Whatever　may　be
thought　of　the　wisdom　of　the　plans　of　the　founders　of　the　great
monastic　orders　of　the　middle　ages；　they　took　their　full　share　of
suffering　and　privation；　and　never　shirked　in　their　own　persons　the
sacrifices　they　imposed　on　their　followers。

I　have　already　expressed　the　opinion；　that　whatever　the　ostensible
purpose　of　the　scheme　under　discussion；　one　of　its　consequences　will
be　the　setting　up　and　endowment　of　a　new　Ranter…Socialist　sect。　I　may
now　add　that　another　effect　will　beindeed；　has　beento　set　up　and
endow　the　Booth　dynasty　with　unlimited　control　of　the　physical；　moral；
and　financial　resources　of　the　sect。　Mr。　Booth　is　already　a　printer
and　publisher；　who；　it　is　plainly　declared；　utilizes　the　officers　of
the　＇260＇　Army　as　agents　for　advertising　and　selling　his　publications；
and　some　of　them　are　so　strongly　impressed　with　the　belief　that　active
pushing　of　Mr。　Booth's　business　is　the　best　road　to　their　master's
favour；　that　when　the　public　obstinately　refuse　to　purchase　his　papers
they　buy　them　themselves　and　send　the　proceeds　to　headquarters。　Mr。
Booth　is　also　a　retail　trader　on　a　large　scale；　and　the　Dean　of　Wells
has；　most　seasonably；　drawn　attention　to　the　very　notable　banking
project　which　he　is　trying　to　float。　Any　one　who　follows　Dean
Plumptre's　clear　exposition　of　the　principles　of　this　financial
operation　can　have　little　doubt　that；　whether