West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-04-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE TROUBLE WITH ITALY.
Commissioner Of Pensions and
The Refrigerator Scandal.


ton which struck this town this
week when Raron Fava, the italian
minister, who seems to have studied
the great American game of draw
poker to some purpose during his
ten years residence in Washington.
walked into Mr. Blaine's private
ONCE and made the bluff of his life
by presenting letter from the Ital-
ian government recalling him as
Envoy extraordinary and minister
pleuipotentiary to the United States
by way of emphasizing it's dissatis
faction ut the failure of this Gov.
eminent to make reparation for the
recent lynching OF Italians at New
Orleans, but real genuine, ALL wool
and-s-yard-wide, warranted not. to
snrink-whilc- belng-cabled-a no u n d
the-world sensation. II has shaken
chc administration from stem to
stern and from ''Baby" Mckee to
jim Blaine. and will probably
cause aslump. in the price of Maca-
roni in the New Orleans market.
! am afraid that some one will ac-
cuse me OF levity in writing thus,
but l can no moro take this absurd
Italian blunder seriously than can
the announced retirement of John
Sherman from politics. If this act
OF the Italian government be seri-
ously taken and followed to its log
zeal conclusion it can mean but one
thing-war. Had the same thing
been done by that government at
the court Of any first class Europe
an power it would undoubtedly ere
this have resulted IN q declaration
OF war. But in this case there will
be no war. Wo can't fight italy
because We haven't the ships, and
Italy cant 6gbt as because although
she has has the ships, she hasn' t
the money.
What will we do to resent this
insult3 Notl ing. Our minister to
Italy will remain at his post, un-
less the "Msfa'. which King Hum.
bert evidently fears more than the
citizens OF New Orleans did, shall
compel the government of italy TO
send him his passports, in which
case ne will return home and italy
will not be represented at the
Worlds Fair.
An Official statement Of the affair
haa bees made public, which makes
It plain that the administration is
IN no way responsible for the Sian
IN the FACET has received from the
nation Of organ-grinders and bog Is
eeHnts, and which takes as dignifed
q stand as is possible, considering
that the absence Of navy powerful
enough TO cope with that of italy
stands in the way of our trying to
assume too aggressive an attitude.
The following remarks made by
Representative McCrezry, Of Ken
tucky, who was chairman Of the
Honse Committee on Foreign Aft.
airs in the Fiftieth Congress, and
who will probably occupy the same
position in the Fifty-second, repre-
sents the general sentiment in re-
gard 70 the occurrence: The Italian
government has acted hastily and
without the dignity which ought and
Hsually does mark diplomatic neeo.
tiations. In the first instance Italv
had grievance, or believed she had
IN the killing Of three Of her sub-
1ects in = riot. The United statss
promptly responded to her demand
By institutiuZ an inquiry into the
matter in perfect good faith. While
this investigation is being made
before the United States has had
time to take any action further than
to institute the inquiry. the I.al,an
government suddenly recalls her
minister and breaks of diplomatic
relations with the Uuited States.
This turns the tables. The United
States is now the party having a
grievance.
The popular song They are ~
ter ne" 10 particularly applicable
70 the man who disburses tI35 600
900 . year in the payment Of pen.
siOns. The ''they" in the present
case are several hundred department
clerks who have invested something
like $50, 900 in suburban real a..
tate schemes Of which Commission.