THE Christian Statesman has finally struck a note that chords with truth. We hasten to publish it:—
The London Christian, speaking of vagrancy in England, says that in Somerset it has increased within two years from 20,000 to 46,000 cases. The chief constable says he sees no signs of criminality; the [99] increase comes wholly from men out of work. “A large number,” the chief constable adds, “are short-service soldiers, some belonging to the Army Reserve. These men draw their deferred pay in a lump on leaving the army, go on ‘the spree’ with it, and at once and forever enter the destitute class. A few years ago the Daily News showed how the short service term was making the paupers and crowding the southern counties with them.” “And now,” exclaims the Christian, “ye secretaries of Boys’ Brigades and ye ministers and officers of the same, when ye admit 16,539 boys taken with your guile! and only 2,102 with your Bible classes!! are you not whetting the boys’ appetite for at least a short service term in an army somewhere?” We cordially indorse this protest. The Boys’ Brigade movement is a singular admixture of the military and the religious spirit, and as such deserves the opposition which the friends of peace have been offering to it.
We hope our contemporary will hold to this truth,—that you can’t make a boy a Christian by teaching him military tactics; and that this may lead to an understanding of kindred truths, one of which is that you can’t make a man a Christian by law. [99]