The daily critic., 1890-10-22

hack to prove the correctness Of nv as
| sertion. The few crimes committed by
some Of these men are exaggerated 10
a great extent
Let one Of them commit an 1Fepsp
great or small and the papers 10 NOT
fail 10 make il known couspfru5uslv
That be is an Italian. Brigand swlrthv
feud-wielder Of the sileUo-c1t.
throat, and other equally debesiue terms
have become known 90 the preplnder
once Of readers as only applicable 10
Italians A crime is always detestablc.
but surely a crime committed by an
Italian is rot more SO than one commit
ted by wretch Of any other nationality,
All this may at first glance appear
puctle; and if the great majority of
readers were educated people, IL would
be pueIile, for then the many misrepra
seulaiions Of these men. who cannot
read English, and, therefore. are unable
10 rcfute them, would be treated with
little importance, since the readers
would detect at once The great incOn.
sisttucy between what is said of them
and what the police records show
Eut the majority Of those who read
are ready to believe what Is told to
them in print; and not n few Of them
are strangers to those fner feelings
which make a man in fortunate circum-
stances feel sorry for those who are
wrctched, and so it is taken for granted
hy many Of them that stietto and
Italian are Synonymous terms, and
that filth, laziness and crime
are the inalienable traits of his
charactCrl Aud to all this may be
traced the origin Of the feeling dis
played on our streets against these In.
offensive laborers in their going to
work OF coming from t. by badly
brought up children-ofIsprin Of
poor emigrants themselves-who let no
chance escape TO molest or pelt them, a
feeling disgraceful to our civilization,
which has found its way even into some
OF our public schools where low, vulgar
terms are used by scholars TO designate
Italians. II has been said that these
men are q menace to the country. How
can that be? How can law abiding. in
dusuious toilers, who rather than at
tempt to make themselves n burden TO
the Government, will subject themselves
TO work at the meanest Of honest occu.
pations be source Of danger to any
country
If these laborers are only treated
fairly-if they are permitted to earn
their wages unmolestCd until a sufficient
knowledge Of our language will enable
them TO better themselves, as It Is their
great ambition TO do. they will never
disgrace the land which bears the name
Of one Of their countrymen. Though
they may not have any desire TO rule
the country which has given them safe
harbor. they will take great pride, if
given the chance, in helping to dcvelop
our farm lands-in making beautiful
gardens Of our hillsides. and they will
contribute to our population vigorous,
healthy oifspriugs. who will develop
into good artisans, for, whatever the
faults of these laborers may be, one
thing Is certain. that their blood Is as
pure and strong as the wines they pro.
ducc upon their fertile fields.
No, II Is not from such immigrants MS
these that any danger TO the United
States will ever arise The danger lies
with the enemies of honest labor. Those
few who are ever emhroilinr their
CTedulous fellow beings into useless
misery. IL Is from idlers and dissipated
men that danger Is 10 be apprehended;
from buyers and sellers Of votes from
aliens who teach their ofTsprings 10
disobey our incompatible laws; beings
who are ever tradueing the names of
our most honored public men 10 the
dust-who proclaim that there IS no
honesty In our public seryants-who,
through abject ignorance or blind
maltciousness, wish to destroy the most
Christian system Of government ever
known 10 mankind, Such and only
such as these will ever prove q menace
TO our county They are the same as
those who proved a menace 10 II not
very long while ago; who, when our
county almost rent asunder by internal |
strife, did not hesitate to help increase
It's misery by committing right here In |
our midst the most unhearl Of bar. |
barlties, which make the cheek blush |
with shame and the heart beat with in |
dignation TO recall.
The same element Is amongst us |
10 day. and, had Il but the chance, Il /
would not hesitate TO lift its coWardlv /
head. But II has not the chance, aud /
II must content itself, at least for the /
present, with shouting in security THE /
Italians must 90 ~ But must they gog l
II will be time enough to discuss that
question when real representative /
Americans will tud sufficient reason, |
alas ! 10 give sanction 10 such a |
lamenlable utterance, but not till then. /
In the meantime leave it 10 the gen. /
tlemen OF the press. the greatest bul. /
WaTk Of our institutions, 10 determine /
If l have intTuded upon them In vain /
II. A. RoSZOSE.
l2l East Forty fourth street. New York
city.