Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-01
ITALY.

The present Government of Italy, like that
of France, is an experiment, and it is envi-
roned with dangers and difficulties. In Italy
the Clerical party has always and necessarily
been very influential, but the policy of Plus
the Ninth after the loss of his temporalities
was one of sullen non-intercourse. The
Church and its friends would abstain from
politics. They would neither vote nor be
voted for. But with the accession of Leo
has come change in the programme, though
it is as vet more foreshadowed than put in
practice. The Italian Ministry has been
what is called Liberal, which means that it
has been obliged to half tolerate the Italia
Irridente dictionaries, and all the other dema-
goSues and simpletons who are unable to dis
'tinguish between liberty and license. These
factions of course have cause to detest the
Government because it will not go as far as
they want to- The Government, badgered
and hated, is contemplating an extern
sion of the suffrage in order to popularize
itself. And in this measure the Clericals
think they see their opportunity. For they
have been rejecting that after all if they
wish to get their own again they must control
the masses, and that if the masses have votes
the Church can dispose of them. And so it
is evident that the Clerical party will soon
emerge from its silence, and take an active
and formidable part in politics. The real
danger of this change consists far less in the
actual potency of the Church as a political
factor than in the possible alliances it may
make with other factions. For instance,
there is in Italy considerable element which
is opposed to unifcation, holding that the
various districts and provinces are so entirely
different, and their people so distinct in char
acter and habit, that the attempt to make of
them one nation is mistake. These ere
gionalsts, as they are called, are practi-
cally at war with the Republican element
that desires a federative republic. The
Church might make use of both these ele-
ments against the Government, though of
course she has no sympathy with the ideas of
either 1t is still believed at the Vatican
that the temporal power of the Pope will be
restored, and that is the aim of the Clerical
party. Meantime popular education pro-
ceeds but slowly. The percentage of those
who eau neither read nor write is about fifty
though in Southern Italy illiteracy is far
more marked than in the North. The trade
of the country has been growing quite rap
idly, but the whole nation is kept back and
disabled from expanding naturally by that
incubus of all continental peoples, the stand
ing army. 1t is, no doubt, very difficult for
Italy to realize that she does. not stand in
need of this formidable army, but the condi
ton of her finances shows that until it is cut
down within reasonable dimensions the ex-
chequer will be poor and the nation be
drained of its surplus energies. Recent de-
velopments have showed faculty for the
accumulation of municipal debts in italian
towns, such as might have been thought was
confined to American enterprise. Some of
these ancient historical cities have rolled up
debts which they are quite unable to pay,
and it has been found necessary for the Par
lament to devise means of relieving them
A new experiment has been made by pur-
chasing the railroads and operating them
under Government management. How it
results cannot as yet be determined, but
there can be no doubt that it will very ma
terially increase the cost of operation, while
it must be doubtful whether the safety and
convenience OF the public will gain pro-
portionately. At present education seems
much more pressing need than an extension
of the suffrage, especially as the Church will
probably make the only use made of this
measure, and seriously to the injury OF free
institutions. One of the Encouraging fea-
lures of the situation is marked political
apathy on the part of the better educated |
class. The ignorant voters vote eagerly |
enough. 1t is the educated ones who stay
away from the polls. One result, of course,
is that ignorance gets more than its fair repre-
sentation. On the whole, however, the progress
of Italy is such as to warrant the belief that |
she has almost reached the period of positive
safety. Another decade of peace and in
dustry will put her beyond the power of
Clericals or other disorganizers to injure seri-
ously, and, best of all, to deprive her people |
OF the liberties they have endured SO much to
obtain.