The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-09
Tho Situation In Italy.

| Signor ZANARDRLLI. who ie acknowledged,
| even by his opponents. to be man OF
| stainless integrity as well as OF great abil-
| ity, has much augmented the gravity OF
| the Italian crisis. Where he failed 1t Is UNI
| likely that Signor FARINI. the President OF
| the Senate, should succeed: for. at such
| juncture. tho Primo Minister ought to be
| drawn from the Chamber OF Deputies.
| which Is the storm centre. being far more
sensitive than the upper House to the cur
| rents OF popular feeling and opinion. 1t
would be even more idle to hope for a sta
BILE majority In the present Chamber OF
Deputies, IL the Premiership were given to
Signor SARACCo. who. like his fellow men,
bers OF the Centre. insists. not on reduce
ton. but on an increase Of taxation. There
was good ground for Signor ZANARDELLI's
conviction that, IL the King will not permit
an appeal at this time to the constituent
cies. but is resolved to govern through the
existing Chamber. the Cabinet must needs
be drawn from the so-called monarchical
Left. composed of Deputies who call them
selves Radicals. but at the same time pro-
fess loyalty to the Savoyard dynasty. The
members OF the Left would have supported
ZANARDELLIs proposal TO cut down the ap-
900. and the expenditure on the navy by
about s.. OOO. 900. They foresee clearly enough
the difficulty Of obtaining seat at the next
general election. without some concessions
to the popular cutlery for relief from intol-
cradle fiscal burdens.
The concessions. however. which Signor
ZANARDELLI would have been permit
ted by King HUMBERT to make. would
by no means satisfy the Italian
people, or those Deputies who at pres
ent most faithfully reflect their wishes.
The members OF the advanced Left who
drove Signor GIoLITT1 out Of Office In spite
Of his ostensible majority. contend that o
reduction. not OF Sc 900. 900 but OF $40. 600 OO0
is tho minimum proposal which ought to be
entertained. 1t is true that such a shrink
age OF revenue would involve the curtail-
ment Of the Italian standing army by two
army corps. So much the better. say the
extreme Radicals; for the patriots who
promoted the consolidation OF Italy under
the house Of Savoy did 80 in the hope OF en-
1oying peace and prosperity as well as liber-
| ty. and not with any expectation OF seeing
their country transformed into a camp.
| They maintain. moreover. that the fiscal
| burdens might be still further diminished.
II the whole system OF disbursement and
| administration were not rotten with en-
bezzlement and fraud. They assert that
the same Ministers and Deputies who con-
nived at the swindling OF banking institu-
| lions, have habitually condoned similar acts
| of malfeasance In every department OF the
| civil and military service. The ultimate
| object, therefore. OF the advanced Left.
! made up of men who are either Socialists or
Jacobin Republicans. is q mercilcss renova-
| ton OF the whole machinery Of government
| from the smallest taX-collecting bureau up
to the steps OF the throne: and 1t Is growing
every day more doubtful whether the throne
itself will remain standing.
Whether q new Cabinet shall be construct
ed by Signor FARISI or Signor SARAcCo. or
any other representative OF the Centre and
the Right, 1t cannot long stand. as We have
said. In the present Chamber. where there
Is a large majority against any aggrava-
ton OF taxation. Nor could any but short
lease OF life be expected for Government
intended. as was Signor ZAsARDELLI's. to
rest exclusively on the monarchIcal Left, a
party already dlsorganized and demoral-
ICED. as was shown by its failure TO sustain
Signor GIoLITTI. With very few excep-
tions. OF which Slgnor FORTS is ono. the
members OF this large section are either
bankrupt in character or deficient in Par
liamentary experience and influence. A con-
siderable proportion Of them were impll-
Gated by the report OF the Commission in
the banking frauds, either as participants
Of the plumber or as compounders Of felony
and accessories after the fact. Why. then,
1t may be asked. since neither the mon
archicaI Left, nor the Centre and the Right
atIord materials for the construction OF a
stable Cabinet. does not the sovereign give
up the attempt to govern through dis
Rraced and discordant Chamber, dissolve
Parliament. and order a new general cleo
tion2 The answer Is that King HUMBERr
would be extremely reluctant TO appeal to
the electors at this juncture. Difficult as 1t
is TO deal with the present Chamber OF Depu-
lies. its successor will prove even more in
tractable. for no one doubts that three times
as many Socialists and Jacobin Republicans
will be returned by the constituencies. Sup
pose, however. that while. on the one hand.
King HUMBERT persists in refusing to order
a new general election. on the other hand no
Minister acceptable 10 the Grown shall show
himself able to command stable majority
IN the Chamber OF Deputies. Then the species
OF crisis would result which IN France
compelled President GREW to resign. and
which in Italy would divert the hoOd OF
public disgust and indignation from the
impOtent and offensive Ministers TO the
sovereign himself.
We are likely to see stirring times IN
Italy during the winter now begun. and In
ternational questions may arise which will
require the American Ambassador to sx-
hibit unusual abilities. The guarantee OF his
possessing such abilities should bs forth