The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-07-14
OUR GoosEouILL LETTERS.
A Heavy Storm-sSyrfndIed italian Immi~
grants-A yetoing Observation-Disclosures
Coilege-Shabby Reception of the GosaH
mental Guards
pIIII aIIrI P1sIA Lima % f2Q9

grants-A Vetoing Observation-Disclosures
-Ceilege-Shabby Reception of the Cos,ta
| mental Guards
PHILADELPHIA, June 80, 1888.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Once more the sun shines and everybody
wears smile after the severest rain storm
that has visited this part of the country in
a very long time. 1t was a good offset to
the western cyclone. For threee days the
rain poured-quite long enough for one to
become disguised with the chronic grum-
blers. Strange as it may seem, many people
who solemnly profess belief in God and
pretend to worship Him with all due hu-
mility, accord to themselves the right to
find fault with the weather and use any ad-
jective expressive of their displeasure
never for moment realizing their pre-
sumption in so doing. How dare they
show such lack of reverence and humility !!
The rain was real blessing to this city,
cleansing and purifying the streets, but
very destructive to much of the country
and many of the towns in the State. Great
loss is reported to manufacturing, agricul-
turai and mining industries. Rivers were
swollen and overfowed their banks, there
were land slides on railways; houses,
fences, bridges were swept away, mines
deluged, and hay, corn and tobacco totally
| destroyed. There was a cave-in at Wilkes
barre caused by the bursting of dam in
the Susquehanna and one house was en-
gulphed The people, thinking the land
everywhere would give way, fled for their
| lives in sort Of panic. Doubtless there
would have been considerable loss of life
had it occurred at night.
The poor Italian immigrants who have
been dealt with SO treacherously are
pitiable sight in their utter destitution.
They have had enough of the "Land of the
free, the home of the brave" and beg to be
sent back to bright, beautiful Italy. Itseems
they are induced to leave home by specula-
tors, upon the promise of sure employment
and big wages and for the advance of pas
sage money, about thirty dollars, arc
forced to forfeit largely of their wages
after they reach this country. When they
reach New York they are feeced of their
last dollar. The thieves in the guise of
railroad and other contract agents meet
them when the ship lands and offer work
at the very highest rates and for that SER
vice demand a commission fee of from four
to five dollars; as rule, every cent the
poor things have. Then, in order to con-
time their Journey to their destination,
which is generally Philadelphia, they are
obliged to sell their clothing. Arriving at
Philadelphia the sharper leaves them in the
depot upon the pretense of hunting up the
contractor, takes the next train and returns
to New York. Lately there were thirty
five landed and deserted this way, utter
strangers, not knowing where to turn,
nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep and un-
able to speak word of English. Nor is
this shameful business of cheating confined
to New York, it is practiced here as weh.
giving the Italians work on the payment Of
two dollars or the full amount of the first
days wages and thereafter tax of fifty
cents week and merciless in the extreme,
have been discharging them so soon Us they
could get hold of other dupes. Some who
where discharged after working two days,
found their way to DR.. Pugnatelli and dis
closed the fact to him. The Mayor has Or
dered an investigation. There is relief
fund for poor Italians, kept up by private
subscription; of which DR.. Pugnatelli has
charge and at present there are three Or
four hundred dependent ON that fund. The
DR.. says that work is assigned them as fast
as possible, that quite anumber are work
ing in the clay pits of New Jersey, that
they make good workmen and stand the
sun better than any other nationality and
what is more surprisin ng still, he says that
fifty cents will support an able bodied
Italian four or five days.
Governor Pattison has been using the
veto power literally lately, undoing much
of the legislation of the past session, for
which most people commend him. One of
the vetoed bills is an act to authorize and
towns in the Commonwealth to provide for
the support of disabled fremen. This is
new style of pension bill and the Governor
thinks it all wrong ; thinks the Legislature
has no right to appropriate to charitable
uses money raised by taxation for public
expenses. The purpose is benevolent one
and who moro deserving of a grateful re-
turn than the manly, self-sacrificing fire.
man who risks life, limb and health to res
cue the endangered property of others, but,
it is mistake to provide for him out Of the
public treasury. The fremen in some coun-
tries are not paid at all or not paid enough
to enable them to provide for old age or ac-
cident, hut here they receive good salaries
and if they need assistance it is an easy
matter to make up purse by individual
subscription. There has been growing
tendency toward the granting of pensions
to fremen, policemen and school teachers
and the experience of the National govern
ment with military pensions should make
every one rejoice that precedent was not
established in this case.
Another good thing has been done. The
bill fixing the salaries of county officers
has been approved by the Governor and is
now law. It fixes uniform salaries for all
county officers in counties containing a
population of over one hundred thousand.
This will amount to a great reform, as it
will crush out much of political trickery.
Men will not be tempted to foist them
selves into office by fraud and bribery for
the sake of the spoils-they will receive
good business salaries, give better work, will