Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-21

vo solicit articles for this department.
name CT thewriter should accompany
'1a Letter or article, not necessarily for
',blicat!ou, but as evidence of good faith
uo we Know When We Are Well
or.
vim the treest country IL the world
,.,arsllv burdened with the products OF
,Ho soil. Of the mines, Of manufactures,
'.i,o cheap lands and low taxes, we are
.[n,ny the most Disconnected people on
H. globe. We perpetually complain of
I-,5gpts. Of foods, Of short crops and
n,ger-production, j" in breath, OF depres-.
.r in the markets, dearth OF cash,
Gaming enterprise and growing poverty.
sarrouuded with and enjoying more
s.-sin0s than was ever before bestowed
,,,n any nation since the creation, not
os.n excepting the lsraelites in the
,,o1ly land" OF Canaan Glowing with
mnk aud honey" we yet are poor, OPP
,rassed and needy. We work day aud
9iybt. peryert the Sabbath, aud rack our
bralns to premature old age and death for
another dollar or two, as if the chance
would soon be gone TO make 1.-THE re-
sources of the country would soon be ex-
bausted and we had nothing to live for
but "nlthy lucre."
And really, this is fast becoming about
the only motive we seem to have for ac-
ton-money-m money, that we may
swell in pomp and pride-may cope with
our rob enemy, may pamper sensuality
and revenge ourselves upon the cold
charity we experienced through adver-
Sty.
suppose au earthquake should sudden
" send its trembling alarm or death and
destruction through the land, or even
through one of its fairest localities, and
we should see the total humiliation of
great cities, of beautiful regions teeming
with population aud wealth-what would
We think then? Such things have hap
pered within the memory OF man, and
the hoard Of generations with its owner
swept away in few minutes. Was it
because they were useless, save to op-
press or pamper pride? Because they
"cumbered the grOundF' Nothing hap
pens without a cause, nor without pur-
not look far away for dire disaster to de
YOUR our wealth, to depopulate our land
to crush our hopes and open our eyes to
The blessings OF the present. 1t is even
now at our very doors-ghaunt, hungry
and lean, in the form Of dreadful cpl
demc, already devastating the fairest
fields of Europe, and daily sending out its
70
SPY out this should-be happy land.
But we will not contemplate the dire
result Of its dreadful visitation. Rather,
let US present a contrast between our
own great prosperity, and the condition Of
another people eking out miserable ex-
istence under the serene and beautiful
sky Of the most famed and glorious land
Of history. Italy, the sunny South" of
Europe, Astounding in resources as varied
and inexhaustible as our own, is suffering
in reality what we seem to suffer In imagi-
nation.
A few years ago the government ap-
pointed commission TO inquire into the
condition of the rural districts, and re-
cent report of that commission furnishes
Us with facts almost incredible In an age
Of civilization.
In summing up the wretched details OF
the peoples misery, the President OF the
commission sand: ''The rural property
suffers depl0rably from malaria in its
best regions; it is cut up into Over-min-
ute divisions, fettered on the one side by
collective ownership and yoked on the
other to burdensOme privileges
and dues; overwhelmed with
taxes, debts and mortgages;
wanting in every means OF inter c0mmu-
nication, and afflicted by the insecurity of
lie and property. Nobody can wonder All
the barren aspect which 1t presents, and
one can only hope that the enigma Of
ameiloraion may be satisfactorily solved
by the eminent men whose attention is
now directed to it,"
The old story that chronic grumbIers
aud people dissatisfied with their own con-
dltlon, should 90 out among others in
order to find out how well-off they are at
nome, is peculiarly applicable to this
case. A peep at Italy through the glasses
OF Its commission should enable US TO
eGclalm, happy America!