The Portland daily press., 1897-05-20
A FEW CASES ARE REALLY
WORTHY ONES.
That of DIR. Delgardo One OF Those In
stances-The Doctor formerly Resided
in Portland and Attended Gorham
Academy.
ESPECIAL TO THE pREss.l

another attempt VIII be made TO get
unanimous consent for the consideration
of the resolution appropriating $50, COO for
the relief of our starving citizens there.
1t is probable that the consent will be OBJ
tanned, although Mr. Bailey may still
prevent. And if consent is obtained for
the consideration the resolution is sure to
pass, although many congressman have
doubts about the policy. 1t is believed
that many of these citizens are such only
in name, being Cubans who have gotten
certificates of naturalization without
having resided in this country the
statutory period. Others, as seen from
the consular reports which have been sent
to the State Department, are really
Americans, their names being unmis-
takably English, and not Spanish. Such
have been engineers on sugar estates, and
in other employment which has been
taken away by the war They have come
to distress as Americans do at home when
they lose their employment. 1t is not be-
leved that the number of such bona fide
Americans is very great.
There are great number of Cubans
who have gotten naturalization papers in
this country and then gone back to Cuba.
Mr. Hale and others in the Senate have
taken the ground that large number of
these are in no true sense American citi-
zens, having come into our citizenship
merely to assist themselves in Cuba.
There is undoubtedly great deal of sense
in this view of the subject, although it
is very difficult to fix accurately the status
of those claiming our citizenship. The
Delgardoes, father and son, are an ex-
ample of men Of the Cuban race who seem
entitled to the protection of this govern
ment. The son, a physician, d young
man of ability and promise, born and
educated in this country, spent the first
twenty-five years of his life in New York
His father was born in Cuba but when
boy was sent to Portland and educated at
the old academy at Gorham, now the Cor
ham Normal school. Later he became an
American citizen; but has owned estates
in Cuba, and has resided there much Of
the time With his son he was residing
there on his plantation when the revolu-
ton came on. He claims that he was not
mixing in the revolution. His plantation
is only thirty miles from Havana. One
morning General Maceo and his force
came to his house. He showed his Ameri-
can passports and Maceo told him that he
need not fear molestation from the Gu
bans. Very soon the Spanish force ap-
peared and there was a fight, the Spanish
General Melguizo remaining master of
the field. The soldiers came to the House.
and the American passports were shown.
The young man says that the Spanish
general struck him in the face and told
him that he. should like to do the same
with the American consul The soldiers,
at the entreaty of the son, respected the
gray hairs of the elder Delgardo, but took
the son and the servants and carried them
to a stone wall, where they were ranged
in line, their hands tied and their backs
to the wall. One servant, a little boy of
thirteen years, fell on his knees and i'm
plored the Spanish not to kill him Their
only answer was a volley that cut him to
pieces as he knelt. DR.. Delgardo was also
shot through the hips by the volley and
fell over Stimulating death. But in search
ing his pockets a soldier detected him
drawn and blow aimed at the PROSTATE
doctors head. But the end of the weapon
hit stone of the wall and broke, the
broken end making jagged but not fata-
wound in the temple. The soldier called
for another machete and struck again.
This time the weapon laid open the throat
OF the victim, and the Spaniards went
away satisfied that they had made
thorough work. The father sought the
body of his son and carried it to the
house. There it was found that life was
not extinct, and by what seems a wonder
full recovery the doctor was restored to
comparative health. He made his escape
and is now in Washington with his
father. He has told his story to our State
Department, having his wound as the
liyid proofs of what he says.
DIR. Delgardo is one of the worthiest of
the sufferers and his story is sufficient to
excite the most bitter Indignation against
the Spaniards, whose offense was against
both humanity and American citizenship.
But where there is one case like this
there are many others where the men
claiming citizenship are in no true sense
American citizens. This fact creates the
difficulties of the situation. 1t is probable
that a very large number of those now
appealing for aid now have no residence
III the United States and never did have
any. They are the subjects of charity like
the starving poor of India or any other
place; but Congress has never undertaken
to distribute the money of the American
people to foreigners in distress. That has
always been left for the people themselves
10 do, according to their individual feel
ings. Of course those appealing for aid
naw are not at all in the same class with
Dr.. Delgardo. He has suffered from
Spanish cruelty and outrage. The present
.Gfferers are without food because the
fortunes of war have destroyed their
means of employment This might hap
non in any country