Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-27
A SUNNY CLINE
Nh. Gu BRINGS NAUGHT BUT MISERY
TOtTS PEOPLE.
Condition of the Farm Laborers In Gem
trail Italy Starting Out to Work
Life in = Cave-Sickness
and Death.


want, degradation, poverty, suffering. sick
less an death am 1ng the agricultural pop
alati m Of western Ireland il the account
given O: the condition of the farm laborers
IN central Italy by Mr.. Beaucierk, one OF the
ec,etaries of the British legation at Rome.
The materials for this report were obtained
shelly frsm the official report Of the Italian
Agricultural commission, appointed to in
luire into the agricultural condition of the
country an l to recommend Improvement to
be undertaken by the state. The statement
in this official report are confirmed by the
personal observation of Mr.. Beaucierk- To
say that the farm laborer4, who embrace
the largest proportion OF the population,
live and are treated like cattle, would be
zivin, their condition much better than it
-ea lily Is.
Cattle in most countries are housed in
winter and protected from storms during
)ther season, Of the year. But in central
Italy the farm laborers do not en- joy the
projection afforded by barns and stables. In
he Champagne district there are but So
house for %, 75i inhabitants. Some live in
huts and wigwams, Others in caves ard
yrottoes, OF in the ruins of ancient buildings
and mbs, whilst many have no roof
above them but the heavens, and no led be
=
T04 persons lived during all last year with
out a dwelling to call home When the
lays work in tie field was over, men.
women and children ate their ratious under
4 she'd erected for the purpose Of protecting
mules, and then threw themselves on the
ground to rest Here children were born,
middle. aged women suffered from fevers.
and old rlen died. Many were glad to OBJ
tain the sort Of food given to hogs, and to
finl shelter during storm under shed
built to protect beasts of burden.
The condition of farm laborer5 is better in
soms parts of Italy. but it IS very bad ev-
erywhsre. The average wages of adult
male agricultural laborers are less than $50
per year. On the large estates they work
in gangs Of several hundred each. They
can be sean starting out in the gray mist OF
the early morning toward the fields where
they are to work, always accompanied by
| an overseer who rides Oh horseback. They
WORK in the fields till sunset, never leaving
them to eat fool. Such as is allowed them
| is brought and dealt out to them on the
grass. During the entire day the mounted
overseer rides among the laborcrs, who are
| Of both sexes to see that no one shirks or
neslects his task.
Here is the picture Mr. Beauclerk draws
of them: "Men AMI women bending to the
| grounl, shivering in the chill mists Of morn
ing toiling in mournful silence, they might
| be but herd of human cattle. resembling
| their fellows, but belong to a different and
/ degraded race of captive heiots." Ii is GER
! tain that no one ever had the temerity to
represent tn, condition of the serfs of
| Russia, the coolies of Borneo, or the slaves
| of any country as bad as this. Still the
wort is not told in this horrible recital.
! That is contained in 4 report that in some
/ districts half the agricultural laborers were
taken to hospitals during last summer, an
in the order from the general government
"that dead animal, be burned or buried in
| aucllime to prevent the peasants from
| digging them up and e1tins them, as often
| happens
Tie condition OF tia present rro?rietors il
| aarily bitter than that of ths hirsi labor
ers. In the country 122, 633 lave farms
| that contain less than two and {. hall acres
each. The soil is dug with a rule spade
| Tiers would be tie reverse of economy in
using draft animals, il the farmers could
abtain them. Men arc cheaper than hor g.,
and women than mules. The beasts mu
lie shot, but tine human beings can 90 bare.
foot 1t seems t. bs no great wonder that
the IN .mbers o. a family lament the death
of a goa. Inor, than they do that of neal
| relative.
Thi~ is the ".re,, united AMI rejuvenatei
TIA V" abou. which we have heard SO muo&
dur.n, the past few year. This is the land
| %. flowers aud sunshine. the coun
try where every prospect pleases,
the ancient home of art, literature,
and science. Hero Virgil, Horace, and
Tasso sung. Here are the grandest mont
| ments If architecture the world contains
Here the finest paintings and the most beau
tiful statuary OF both ancien: AMI modern
| times were produced. Here civilization
was established that extended over thret
great continents, and a literature was pro
duced that promises to endure through al
time Here language was perfected that
| was the basis of most of the tongues nov
| spoken This is tn, country whose agricul
ture {, 900 years ago was the wonder of the
world Here, according t. fliny, reapin9
machines drawn by horse' were in Use
twenty centuries before Mccormick wa:
born Now the agriculture of Italy is wors.
than that OF Ireland; there are few mn
chimes fer cultivatins the soil or for harve I
ing CROP Human muscle is cheaper thar
| rods of steel