THE WRITTEN THOUGHT.
Golden Butterflies of Opportunity.
By Charles Berger, Toledo, Ohio.
Whenever Truth strikes they who are struck shall be heard.
I have often wondered about the psychological moment and its wonderful coincidences, and well for those who understand it to make use of the time when the fruit is ripe.
Our so-called Charitable Institutions that cater to the unemployed and, make fortunes from him and his name, certainly should receive a welcome hand for the work that they are doing.
The Salvation Army with its saving of soul’s activity while they are sending bodies to Hell, are foremost in the work of uplift and Social Work.
They who for the name and work receive able support from the capitalists and business men are doing a great deal to shadow the crimes of Society.
At one of my open-air meetings in Toledo with my co-worker John X. Kelley attempted to convey the message to the mass of the people in the audience. In the course of my talk, I made certain statements relative to the S.A. and other charitable organizations, showing their hypocrisy, trickery and insincerity.
There was a professional bummer in the crowd, the S.A. Captain, who jumped up and said I was a liar. The crowd protested against him butting into my meeting. I told the crowd to let him say whatever he pleased. He then said, ‘I’ll let any three men in the audience inspect or audit my books.”
Certainly his books are correct; there is no question about that, but we know from what goes on that never gets in the books. The furniture given to them they sell for profits.
Great bunk about the books.
The Captain said that my shouting and tinhorning would double their BUSINESS.
BUSINESS it is and good paying BUSINESS at that.
I then told the Captain that he ought to be thankful for my advertising of his business and that if his business was increased, he ought to split.
The crowd hissed him and bawled him out. Men in the crowd asked him if it was Christian-like to call a man a liar.
“Sure,” he replied, “it is right to call a man what he is.”
I concluded by quoting to him some of his own texts:
“Judge not that ye be not judged, for whatsoever ye judge, shall ye be judged.”
“The cloak of hypocrisy is always revealed.”
Workers listen, observe and reason.