The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-24

Red Gross society to alleviate the con-
dition of those who still remain, but
scores of men, women and children are
yet Sthere, gaunt and bony, almost as
skeletons, many of them covered with
sores, directly traceable to insufficient
food.
What chapter of horrors and death is
that? And still the tragedy goes on.
How much longer it shall continue,
largely depends upon the forbearance OF
a great people who through suffering
and sorrow achieved their own indie
pendence and whose sympathies have
always gone out 10 the oppressed of all
nations of the world.
A vivid picture was then drawn by
MIR Gallinger Of a trip to the city OF Ma
tanzas. All along the route were
wretched people in rags. but not until
the city was reached was the full extent
of the suffering realized.
1t occurred to me as / looked upon the
scenes of suffering and horrors that the
Cuban reconcentradoes might well have
adopted the words Of Dante, "who enters
here leave hope behind,' when they were
driven from the fields and herded like
cattle in cities and towns of this fertile
land. The truth Is that Weyler devised
scheme of human suffering and cor
row that put Dante's Inferno in the
shade and converted a contented, pros
porous people into a herd OF suffering,
starving unfortunates.
and death. Never before did my eyes
behold such suffering and never again
do l expect to see such wrought through
a cruel and inhuman decree.
A visit to the Matanzas hospital showed
a more shocking condition than the
streets. Members of the Red Cross So
oiety who had visited one of the hospitals
two weeks before were almost overcome
upon discovering that nearly every one
OF the inmates at tha5 time had since
died. Their poverty, sorrow and suffer
ing were depicted in their worst forms.
Children, gaunt in the face, but with
abdomen and limbs terribly swollen
women, in the last stagesof emaciation,
and men there were rapidly drifting
to DEATH
eff there was food In these hospitals, y
said Mr.. Gallinger, 81 did not discover
it, neither were there signs Of medicine
or of proper nourishment and care. -
The Cover nor of MatanZas informed Mr..
Gallinger that the first day he occupied
the palace 10 persons had died in the
court yard. He said further that in the
city 1900 had died in November, 100 in
December, 700 in January and 500 in Feb
ruary. The death rate was decreasing
simply because the reconcentradoes by
death were becoming tower.
The numbe of people who have starved
in Cuba will never be definitely known.
1t Is estimated that 500. 900 were driven
from their homes into the cities. / had
it from Spanish authority, that accord
ing to their figures, 225 900 already have
rerished, but 1t Is stated that the Red
Cross society is in possession of figures
showing that 425. 600 Cubans have died
as result of Spanish cruelty from star
walton and that 200, 600 more must inevi.
tably die. us
l have been asked many times what of
the Maine. I know not. This, however,
do I know. A government that will
deliberately starve 100000 of its people
will do pretty much anything. If the
ship was blown up from the outside,
what should our government DO?
Perhaps l should forbear to discuss
that question now, but this will ven
tiure to SAY: Human life purposely tax
en- cannot be paid for in gold or silver.
Mark my words ''purposely taken.' And
If it shall appear that suoh was the fate
of $50 brave American sailors, then heav-
en- pity the guilty parties. 1t will not be
q question of arbitration. but question
involving the dignity and honor of this
great republic.
Mr.. Gallinger said there was little real
loyalty to Spain in Cuba, as would be
demonstrated when the hour of trial
should come. He did not believe that
Spain could subdue the insurgents. The
Cubans had been oppressed SO long that
they preferred death to continued Span
ish.rule.
Discussing the subject of Spanish rule,
Mr.. Gallinger referred to the matter of
taxation. In addition to all direct and
indirect taxes on real estate there is q
tax on every door, every window, and
every chimney in every house, on every
letter, on every business sign and on
every name on every hotel register.
Licenses are required to build houses
and to paint houses; there is tax on