The San Francisco call., 1897-02-27

it would be best to appoint chairman
and secretary at once and get to work.
He said that he knew of no one who
would better fill the chair than Charles NJ
Shortridge, the editor and proprietor of
THE CALL, the paper which had taken up
the movement from the start and made it
possible to get such representative gath
ering together. He nominated Mr.. Short
ridge for chairman, and the election was
mad by acclamation.
MIR. Shortridge thanked the committee
for the honor and called for nominations
for secretary.
Mr.. Mascherini, the secretary of the
Cuban sy ympathizers, was mated, but
declined on the ground that his business
would not permit him to attend to the
business of both the Cuban League and
the COMMITTEES.
Mr.. Jones, president of the Cuban
League, was nominated and elected unani-
mously.
Chairman Shortridge stated that the
object was to organize the sympathiz ers
with Cuba in this City for the purpose of
giving them substantial ard moral aid,
that the Spanish yoke might be thrown
off and Cuba admitted to the family OF
republics.
Henry E. Highton was called upon for
suggestions as to the course of the COM
mittee. He stated that his lack of
familiarity with the subject would not
permit him to suggest, but that he
wished to heartily express his sympathy
with the struggling Cubans. Organiza-
ton, he said, was necessary to give the
movement an impetus, and the question
/ was how far might the committee go
! toward helping the patriots without COM
/ ing into clash with the relations now ex-
/ isting between the Governments of the
1 United States and Spain.
Mr.. Shortridge suggested that the COM
mittee begin on the lines suggested by
the call for the meeting. He said that the
selection OF the executive committee was
the first step to be taken.
! Mr.. Highton moved that an executive
com mmlttee of five be appointed to confer
with the Mayor and call another meeting
to arrange for great mass-meeting.
Gavin McNab said that the committee
should be cautious about calling a mass
meeting until those who were to address
the gathering had had time to prepare
! themselves so that they could not only
talk to the sympathizers with Cuba, but
!
A. P. Van Duzer said that there was no
use in waiting to gather information. THE
| CALL which had started the movement,
had given all The information necessary.
| What the committee should do was to
move as quickly as possible to affect the
release of American citizens in Cuban
dungeons
This idea caught the members of the
committee. and was met with hearty ap-
plause. Mr.. Van Duzer moved that fif-
teen members be appointed to organize
and prepare for a mass-meeting.
General Solomon said that the time to
act was now. The Cubans were not insur-
rectionists, but revolutionists, and had
oattled Spain, her armies, navy, gold and
influence, and shown that they could
hold their own. TheT ought to be recog-
nized and at once. A fight for liberty
should have the support of every Ameri-
can citizen, he said, and San Francisco
should not lag behind.
Robert Ferral was in favor of immediate
action, and he said that it was not the
time to talk about figures.
Cuba, he said, wants liberty. and we
want her TO have it. The Cubans have
fought and bled and died for liberty. and
it is time that the American people arose
in their might and demanded freedom for
the patriots"
Mayor Phelan entered at this time and
stated that he had appointed the commit.
tee at the request of earnest and enthusi-
astic sympathizers OF Cuba.
"I am thoroughly in accord with the
sentiment that gave birth to this COM
mittee, he said. fThe end has come to
Spanish tyranny in Cuba. They will be
free, and it was the example of America
that nerved them on to fight American
sentiment is with the struggle for liberty
and it cannot be stayed now. The time
has come when libertys banner is waving
and it will ever wave over free Cuba.
Even this remote community should not
be left out of the procession that will well
come free Cuba.
This Cuban matter is an American
matter 1t should have our ready SYM
pathy and action. We ought to have a
big mass-meeting to help the Cubans and
bring California in line"
Joseph Leggett said that he hoped time
would be taken to make the mass meeting
vast success. He had no doubt that
those who arranged the matter would
have eloquent speakers, and men who
were able to lay the matter thoroughly be-
fore the people ready to send the move
ment along with boom.
81 believe it is of the utmost Importance
that we should stir up the sentiment in