The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-21
RELIEF OF CUBAN SUFFERERS.

| LIZ appear OF EreslQ60G Mchlnl5y, OSO'
rotary of State Sherman, Hon. William
e. Curtis, and Hon. Charles E. Russell,
of the Department of Justice, (the two
latter special representatives of the gov
eminent to report after full investigation
the conditions of Cuba's stricken people)
as well as the urgent Geographic app eal
of Consul General Lee to the people of
this land of plenty, seemingly is TO have
no response from the Portland Board OF
Trade or, rather, from its executive man
agement, or portion of same, as only
about one-half of the members were in
attendance at the meeting recently held
to consider the mattsr. AS member
of the board, holding its honor in high
estimation, and always ready to defend
unjust attacks upon its record, claim
an unquestioned right to stand With the
critics in this instance, because OF its
1.-THE g vcrnment's) failure to even call
| full meeting OF its members, for consider
alton of the strong apparently resistless)
appeals of our high officials fol-. assistance
and aid in behalf of our suffering ssstrick-
en-, nearby neighbors.
Its action in referring these appeals
| from the highest officials of our govern
ment Zone of them in answer to com
munioation of its own secretary to our
city government, is surely humiliating.
Our municipal government has no right
| to appropriate money for such purpose,
as is well-known, no matter how great
the suffering. or necessity for its relief,
may be. The least that the management
of the Board of Trade could have done
was to have called meeting OF the fall
board, in order that our citizens general
| ly, and members of the organization,
particularly, might have had an oppor-
tunity to express views in the matter.
Having, however, disposed of the ap-
D eal from suffering Cuba thus easily,
they Immediately became seriously inter
ested in theatre party for the entertain
ment of the board. and appointed COM
mittee to arrange for the same. l hope
that the proceeds of such an evenings en-
tertainment (Which in its place is all
right) will be appropriated to the cause
which is most prominently before the
American people at this moment. 1t
would add substantial amount to the
fund.
AS an evidence that the action taken
L
good people, without solicitation on my
part, tenders of SUPPLIES have been freely
offered, and queries made as to whom and
where such goods should be sent. Many
ladies nave inquired in relation to contr1-
buttons of secondhand, light clothing
for women and children. others have ten
dered and forwarded substantial contr1-
buttons of money and pledges of food sup
plies. The sympathy of these people
should not be excluded from action, in
| the good work they are voluntarily ten
dering aid for.
| The management of the Board of Trade
having refused to act directly and lmme-
diately on these appeals from oil sources
for aid, have instead referred the matter
to the city government.
| Our genial Mayors comment that
l"Charity begins at home," was evidently
a spontaneous and thoughtless expression,
so commonplace as to be unnecessary.
| 1 would add thereto, however, that while
| it begins at home, 1t should not end at
home, because that would be extreme
selflshness and forgetfulness. from Port
| land particularly.
| Possibly His Honor has forgotten '66,
when Portland had poured into its relief
| fund over S5O0,000 in cash (see Mayor
Stevcns's report 1867 in addition to enor-
nous quantities of clothing and food,
more or less of which came from foreign
lands, Cubans contributing their share,
because of their close alliance with us,
and sympathy for us in our af1iction.
The Mayor perhaps would have returned
such contributions from our foreign
friends, and advised them to dispose of
them among their own poor, on the theory
that sCharity begins at home.' But
enough of this. We surely care for our
own Unfortunate poor, as evidenced in the
numerous and effective charitable organf.
cations in our midst. outside of our mum
| icipal board of overseers But that should
not debar us from assisting others who
are in greater distress than we ever were.
| l have been informed that the city gov
eminent is not to be called together for
this most pressing need, but that 1T will
| be time enough to attend to it at the reg
ular meeting in February. The extremely
urgent and immediate business Ce1ore
our government Of recent date, in rela-
ton to Gaiety theatre, exclusion of the
presto change action in relation to tele-
phone poles, flasco Investigations, etc.,
etc., is of great deal more Importance
than this desire of our people to have
some plan formulated through response
bic organization, for The relief OF our dis
tressed neighbors. and the latter PROPOSE
| ton Is so extremely buTdsDsome that 1T
is deemed unwise to call our distinguished
representatives together to consider such
an insignificant issue.
! The fear that some new question may
be sprung upon the boys suddenly may
be good reason for not calling them
together. Hence, as g citizen. with no
other interest at heart than that Of the
welfare of stricken humanity and the
Reputation of cur own city, would sug-
gest that the press in general open sub
scription lists calling upon the people OF
our city and state at larCo for contribu-
tions to the Cuban relief fund, due ac-
klowledemnnt being made from day to
tay of such contributions.
would offer the suggestion that the
Honorable James p. Baxter, our dist1n-
guished e9-mayor and philaEthropist, be
design ated.as the treasurer, for the reoep-
ton anc disbursement of such contribu-
tions from the charitable people Of our
State. Contributions of supplies, Cloth
ing, etc., can be assembled in the base
ment OF the Armory building, which is
well adapted for such a purpose, as well
as all other contributions OF the heavier
class, such as cereals, fish, bread, and
other necessary articles of all kinds, as
indicated in Consul General Lee's urgent
dispatch
The directions for forwarding both
funds and supplies are now complete, via