Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-18
FOR CUBAN SUFFERERS,
BrattlebOrO's Ready Response to
Call for Aid.

1t was hearty response which the peo-
pie of Brattleboro made this week to the
appeal for aid for the starving reconcen-
trados on the island of Cuba and one which
places the town in an unmistakable light
as TO its position when the hand of op-
pressed humanity is extended for assis-
lance. The plans which were announced
last week for special services in behalf of
the Cuban sufferers were carried out in de-
tail and as a result 500 in money and sew
eral barrels of clothing and imperishable
food such as corn, beans, rice, ETC.. has
been sent to the island of Cuba for distri-
button among the starving people by Clara
Barton, the leader of the Red Cross society.
The ministers in the local churches preach
ed to good sized congregations Sunday
morning upon various phases of the Cuban
question, and at the close of the services
collections were taken to swell the Cuban
relief fund. In the evening there were no
services at the churches but mass meet
ing of citizens was held in the Auditorium,
the details of which were in charge of the
committees named in last weeks paper.
| Col. George w. Hooker presided at this
meeting Music was furnished by Lett
| singers orchestra and by chorus of local
| singers who rendered selections between
the speeches. The desk was draped with
an American flag, and from the boxes were
suspended American flags and flags of
other nations. Before The time set for
opening the meeting every seat was taken
and the standing room was occupied.
The meeting opened with prayer by Rev.
f. q. S. Osgood of the Unitarian church
which was followed by the reading of the
parable of the Good Samaritan by Rev. j.
ID. Beeman. Col. Hooker, in formally
M fha inc Il, IL
ence of such an audience made any speech
| from him unnecessary. IL took the place
of the speech which he had intended to
make. 1t showed that Brattleboro re-
sponded to every call of those in need. 1t
reminded him of the day in the fall of 1878
when word came that 800 was wanted for
| the yellow fever sufferers in the South, and
the next day $500 was transmitted by tele-
| graph.
Col Hooker then introduced Dr. II d.
Holton as the first speaker. Dr. Holton
| said in substance: ave are not here to
! discuss the political relations of Cuba and
| Spain or of Spain and the United States.
or TO give expression to the righteous in
| digDation that fills our breasts. We are
here for larger and broader purpose, to
acquire such knowledge as we can of the
condition of a million of human beings
who have been driven from their homes
by the cruel edict of a military comman-
der. The last census showed the popula-
| ton of the island of CuOa to be 1000, 900
1t is estimated that there have persisted
since the war began j00,0O0 persons or
nearly as many as the combined populs-
ton of Vermont and New HAMPSHIRE"
DR.. Holton then pictured the horrors of
slow starvation among the Cubans and
wa 10 ha
tan, bind up their wounds? Spain realizes
the conditions which exists and she has
opened all ports to receive our aid"
The next speaker was Rev. l.. d. Tenn
pie who said "We are not'met to stir I'D
strife but to enkinde compassion, and
there are many reasons why we should be
interested in this movement. The per-
sons whom we seek TO aid are not the men
at arms but the women, children and the
peaceably minded. Whatever NAV be our
views as to the right or wrong Of the pres
ent struggle if these people are starving
they need our assistance. We read with
horror the story of the crucifxion of our
Savior, but the agonies of crucifxion are
of but two or three days duration at the |
most. The atrocities in Armenia fade into |
insigni6cance beside those which are being |
perpetrated almost within our reach, vet
there is nothing that these people can do !
by which they can escape the awful doom |
that is upon them"
Col. Kittredge Haskins then addressed |
the audience eloquently. He said that, |
having been created with hearts full of |
compassion for the people of every land.
the audience had assembled TO express its
sympathy in a tangible form for a people
who, almost from the beginning, had made
repeated efforts to establish their liberty
and independence. 1.-THE war now being
waged by Spain is a war of determination,
whose atrocities are unsurpassed in the
history of modern warfare. Until now our
government, recognizing the great law of
nations as to civilized warfare, has refused
TO acknowledge the bellgerency of the Gu
ban insurgents, but the time has come
when this great nation should interfere
and should modify our international pol
acies to the extent that We may do so.
But | am not here 10 discuss the merits of
international law, am here to plead with
you to give of your means. Let us remem-
bea the exhortation of st. Paul; He which
soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly:
and he which soweth beautifully shall
reap also beautifully. Every man accord
ing as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give, not grudgngly, or of necessity: for
God loveth cheerful giver'."
Rev, Patrick Cunningham, who was the
next speaker, said that the object of the
meeting was purely Christian charity. He
said it was not necessary to inquire as to
the cause of the rebellion, for if we did
some would ascribe it to Spain's intolerable
rule, while others would accredit it to too
great indulgence on the part of Spain,
'There is no hope for Cuba, said he, "or
any other country near the United States
except by annexation to the United States.
1t is said that we own one-fourth of the
fresh water of the world; if that is so we
have got too much water; we need more
land. We are here to show that distress
cannot exist near our shores without
touching our hearts and we should not let
our charities end with few boxes of cloth
ing which will fit nobody. Whatever con-
ISOLATION we may bring to the Cuban suf-
ferers will be doubly consoling to us for it
is better to give than to receive"
A solo, The Holy City" by George
Childs preceded the address of Rev. H. d.
who said that the reports of the
suffering in Cuba came from our official
on the island. "The fact |
that Spain has opened the ports of the isl
and to receive our aid is sufficient evil
dence of the intensity of the suffering. We /
should render assistance because, more
than all else, we belong to the same great
human family, and we would be guilty. of
high treason against Christianity and uni
ty of citizenship should we fail to do our
duty at this hour. In the face of suffer !
ing all artificial distinctions of men crum