Arrows of FreethoughtFoote, G. W. (George William)
Religion
Arrows of Freethought
Foote, G. W. (George William)
Free thought
General Booth is quite as much a showman as Barnum, but he is a pious
showman. He is a perfect master of the vulgar art of attracting fools.
Every day brings a fresh change in his "Walk up, Walk up." Tambourine
girls, hallelujah lasses, converted clowns and fiddlers, sham Italian
organ grinders, bands in which every man plays his own tune, officers in
uniform, Davidic dances, and music-hall tunes, are all served up with
a plentiful supply of blood and fire. The "General" evidently means to
stick at nothing that will draw; and we quite believe that if a pair
of Ezekiel's cherubim were available, he would worry God Almighty into
sending them down for exhibition at the City Road show.
Booth's latest dodge is to say the least peculiar. Most fathers would
shrink from trafficking in a son's marriage, but Booth is above such
nice scruples. The worst deeds are sanctified by love of God, and
religion condones every indecency.
Mr. Bramwell Booth, whom the General has singled out as his apostolic
successor, and heir to all the Army's property, got married last week;
and the pious showman actually exhibited the bridegroom and bride to the
public at a shilling a head. About three hundred pounds were taken at
the doors, and a big collection was made inside. Booth's anxiety for the
cash was very strongly illustrated. Commissioner Bailton, who has had
a very eccentric career, was enjoying his long deferred opportunity of
making a speech, when many of the crowd began to press towards the door.
"Stop," cried Booth, "don't go yet, there's going to be a collection."
But the audience melted faster than ever. Whereupon Booth jumped up
again, stopped poor Railton unceremoniously, and shouted "Hold on, we'll
make the collection now." This little manouvre was quite in keeping
with the showman's instruction to his subalterns, to have plenty of good
strong collecting boxes and pass them round often.
Booth's facetious remarks during his son's marriage according to the
Army forms were well adapted to tickle the ears of his groundlings. The
whole thing was a roaring farce, and well sustained the reputation of
the show. There was also the usual spice of blasphemy. Before Bramwell
Booth marched on to the platform a board was held up bearing the
inscription "Behold the bridegroom cometh." These mountebanks have no
reverence even for what they call sacred. They make everything dance to
their tune. They prostitute "God's Word," caricature Jesus Christ, and
burlesque all the watchwords and symbols of their creed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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