The morning call., 1894-03-25
SIGNOR CRISPI.

Now that Gladstone and Bismarck have
Withdrawn from public life the most con-
spicuous figure in contempoIaneou Eu-
ropean politics Is francesca Crispi, who Is
once more at the head of affairs in Italy.
He is one of the ablest statesmen of the
day and his career has been more romantic
than that OF any of his compeers.
He is "a years old. Fifty-four years aco
young lawyer at Naples, he Joined the
party of young Italy and took part in tbe
movement which overthrow the monarchy
of the two Siciies. Ardently espousinp
the cause of the risorgimento be ioined
Mazzini in his ilI-advised scheme Of In.
surrection. was beaten, arrested and
thrown into an Austrian prison AZ MILAN
His beautiful young wife died of the shock
he was penniless. friendless, almost far.
gotten, but his manhood inspired love in
the heart OF young girl who visited
the prison in the caparity of lauud-
ress. She tended him, supplied him with
1000 that was better than the prison fare.
and carried letters from him to those he
had known when the hopes of young Italy
were high. Some Of these interested them
selves for him. Lord Pamerton said
Word. one day the prison door few open.
ana Crlspl was free, but on the condition
that be should leave Italy forthwith, The
young glri hosalle agreed TO go with him.
Ihey woke jesuit priest from his bed.
and the father, bidding the couple kneei
on his pillow at bis feet. made them man
and wife. They had not dollar. but
Crispi was well educated, knew the Ian
guages. and got odd jobs of work. though
there were times when the young couple
went to bed hungry.
In 1858 he was again practIcing law. this
time In his native Sicily. GarbaldTs in
vasion found him there. He ioined the
insurgents and had the satisfaction Of do
ing his share to eXpel the mbecile Bour-
bons. When the battle of Villafranca
freed Southern Italy and established rep
resentative government. Crspi was the
hrst Deputy from Palermo 10 the Chamber.
He rose rapidly to a position of influence
la the House, became a Minis er of state,
leader of his party and presiding officer
of the Chamber. 1t was said that the
mantle of Cavour had fallen on his
shoulders.
But be was in truth at that time most
miserable man. His wife, who had been
so devoted, so loving, so unseiish in the
hour of his poverty. was unable to bear
prosperity. She drove him crazy with her
jealousy. She spent more money on her
dresses and her fads than he possessed or
could borrow. On one occasion, after
stormy debate in which he had been
worsted, be came home to find her inspect
various shades. Crispi bore with her as
long as be could. When the ANNOYANCE
became intolerable he settled an ample in
come on her, divorced her and married an
other woman.
By this third wife he has a daughter,
Peppina, who is now the belle of Italy,
and her fathers delight. She is quite a
politician. and the joke at Rome is that she
is member OF the Cabinet without port
folio. Everybody adores her. In public
affairs her father appears to be the indis-
pensa BILE man. He has often been thrown
out of Office by com binations among the
various opposition parties. But no Cabi-
net Of which he is not a member can SuS-
tain itself long. He plays the part which
Ramon Narvaez PLAYED in Spain. He is as
we'll aware as any one that Italy has en-
barked in course which must be TuinOus
in the end; but he has never seen his way
to steer safe course between the various
rocks in the nations path.
The King insists that Italy shall be O
hrst-class military and naval power,
though the people are unable to afford the
expense; the people of the cities insist on
the abolition OF the Papacy, the thought OF
which fills the minds of Unberto and Mar
gheriia with horror. Piedmont and Naples
are at daggers drawn on every question of
policy. The deficit grows larger year by
year, and the recent explosion In Sicily
shows that the country is ripe for change,
perhaps for revolutionary counter reac-
ton. To paddle his canoe through such
perils must he trying task even for
man OF CrispiS ability at the age Of "a.