Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-10
The v,aaHee in Italian Children.

The Paris correspondent Of the Lon.
don Times, speaking of the abominable
traffic in Italian children, says:
Attention has often been drawn in the
Times to the lamentable practice of beg
ging exercised by children trained in the
trade. This question has been re-opened
by circular addressed last week by the
Societe Italienne de Renaissance of Pa
ris to corresponding institutions through
out the world. The following facts will,
| think, convince every one that the sup
preston of this social pest would be a
really philanthropic work in Southern
Italy. In naturally very rich province
of the Basilicata the greater portion of
the inhabitants make a regular trade of
organ-grinding aad begging, and thence
come those bands of children who have
made their country notorious throughout
Europe and even America Five or six
communes are especially distinguished
tor their emigrants-namely, Marsicove-
tese, Copleto, Laurenzano, Calyello, Pic
cinisco and Viggiano This emigration
which was facilitated by the former Nea-
politan government, doubtless with the
object of getting rid Of a turbulent popu-
lation, still continues with the same &C.
tivity. The custom Of begging from town
to town by means Of children has given
rise to a traffic which is openly practiced
in and even tolerated by the authorities
of every country. Every year several
hundreds OF children of every age and
sex leave their homes under the guidance
of individuals who can call themselves
their parents or padrones In reality
these men are nothing but slave masters
the children are let, sold or confided to
them by virtue of contracts signed by
two parties, who consider them so bind
ing that they sometimes call for the as
sistauce of consuls abroad to enforce
their conditions. These agreements gen.
orally hand over the children for pc
riod at so much a year, or for sum to
be paid beforehand. These bands of
children begin by begging all through
Italy Following the Corniche road,
they come to Nice and Marseilles. Very
few come into France by sea, as at Mar
seilles the Decentralization of beggars is
guarded against. When they have no
passports, they cross the Alps by Brian
con. On the frontier the children are
often resold to persons living in Paris or
other large towns, and their conductors,
after delivering up their human me:-
chandise, return TO the Basilicata in
search OF others. In Paris the children
are huddled pell NELL, boys and girls,
into lodgings near the Place Maubert
and the Pantheon. When they are out
begging, their masters often follow to
watch their receipts, but more generally
the eldest child takes possession of the
! money, the padrone preferriug to spend
his time in low tavernS. The smallest
children are considered the best workers,
and are most in demand, because they
excite most compassion from the public.
Begging lasts from morning till night,
the children obtaining their food from
the charity Of others. In the evening
they return to their lodgings to give up
the proceeds Of the day, but if the re-
ceipts are bad they often beg late into
the night TO avoid i'll treatment. Some
Of them are sent into the suburbs, more
especially on fete days in the summer.
They wait outside the stations for the
trains, singing a barbarous mixture Of
patriotic and obscene songs When one
Of them is arrested, he is Professionally
detained, and notice is given to the Ital-
ian consul The psdrone, however, gen
orally arrives first asserts his claim, and
the child is nearly always given up to
him. A Neapolitan physiciaa states that
of one hundred children of both sexes
who leave their country only twenty re-
turn, thirty establish themselves abroad
and fifty fall victims to illness, privation
and cruel treatment Fifty is, indeed, a
heavy mortality.