New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-17
ANARCHISTS OF ITALY.
THE TEMPER OF DANTE'S TIME CROPS
OUT IN THE DISPOSITION OF
REvOLUTIONISTS.
ELEMENTS WHICH GIVE EXAGGERATED IN
PoRTANCE TO THEIR MOVEMENTS
EARLY LEADERS MALATEsTA De
FENDs BOMB Throwing
OTHER AGITATORS

FENDs BOMB THROWING
OTHER AGITAToRs.
Paris June g. 1884,
There is no country OF Europe where 1t Is so
Difficult; to estimate the progress OF Anarchy as
Ita.v At the beginning OF this year. during the
troubles which Slgnor Crlspl-hImsef an ex-revo.u-
tionst-put down with 50 heroic use OF arms.
more Anarchists were deserted by the official eye
In single localities than exist In the whole peninsula
The facts seem to be briefly these:
In very many parts OF Italy politics and personal
cuarrels mix themselves among the peop.e az they
di in tho time OF Dante and Of Shakespeare's
Romeo and juliet. BY reason Of the seclusion and
unp-ogressve nature OF the numerous lite prince
doms into which Italy was divided before 1850, the
people still belong to that Medieval period Of civil
zation which DR.. Lombroso has characterized as
1.-THE type OF violence" This is the feudal and
military state. In contradistlrction from our modern
business methods OF carrying on tho struggle Tor
llfe which he Jumps together under the type OF
fraud" After the wind OF the French Revolution
swept through Italy. this grouping OF the people
around their favorte leaders manifested Itself in any
number OF secret societes-from the Carbonari for
underground political revolutions to the Camorra
for brigandage against persons and the Mafa, for
the personal protection OF one c.ass In It's war
against another. All this IL unfavorab.e TO the
orthodox Co.ectivst Socialism which demands a
high idea OF the State AMI a complicated organiza-
free coming together in groups Of recent Anarchists.
and the personal violence TO which al such group
Ing together leads In Italy is further cause Of con-
fusion
II may be taken az certain that Anarchy. properly
so called as the name OF a cOmmunsuc party, mas
lttle hold on sicily. The peasants there a-e discon-
tented and with reason. because OF the difficulty
created for their acquiring property They object TO
black bread and misery. and they rather sympathize
with the cavalleria ristcana OF the brgands OF
San Mauro But they have far shown no signs
OF understanding that principle Of Anarchy which
declares "All things belong - al. men" DE Felce
their representative In Parliament whom Crispi has
had sentenced 80 cruelty 70 lifetime OF solitary
confinement Is undoubtedly a Socialist Of the inter
national type SO is Coajannl and the majority Of
Italian Socialists who received their doctrines at the
hands OF Karl Marx. II is only where Italians Ike
Mala,esta have been indoctrina,ed with the inter
nat.ona.ism OF Switzerland (Bskunn and his dsci-
pies) that genuine Anarchist groups are found.
Another example OF the confusion which exaRger-
ates the Anarchist movement in Italy may be taken
from the Romagna. with It's primitive population OF
superb animal men There politics are as rule
revolutionary. and always 60 by groups az personal
friends The older groups are republican. with MAJ
yin, and Aurelio sam az their Idols. That is they
stand precisely where Crispl dil at the beginning
OF his career before he was tempted 10 power under
the roya house Of Savoy. The younger and row
FREEDOM party calls tsAlf Sociais, AMI looks up
20 Andrea Costa Tho cOntss. IS carried on by the
groups after the fashion OF the Capulets and Mon
tagues-with a healthy uee OF fists. cubs. knives
and revolvers. The most curious part ~ K is that
'he bourgeois. or capitalist society. scarcely exists
N all This country radiating on, from Ravenns
The workman. the tenant. the farmer and shop
keeper are al socially ~ tho same c.ass; aud often
the iay-laborer IL founl clingng 10 the Old reQuh
lcansm While the biggest landowner or merchant
will 10 fighting for Socialism. II is eFldcnt that
s.fa.ff
practice takes name-and little else-from the
leader Of ,he band Thus. Amilcare Cipraraa bona
nde Anarchist, whose career has presently - be
narrated. is not without his devoted group In the
Romagna-men who have all their lives been given
TO 'propaGanda by deed" but who Do not ever
dream Of the real meaning OF Communism and An
archy In a civilization they have never experienced
In Cnrrara. where Crispl was obliged TO make a
show u Serious force the case Is different The
workers IN iSe Quhrres have not known Ike The
peasants OF Sicily and the Romsgna. the attractions
Of Prop ;yof possessing something for ones sei'
They are also floating population long familiar
with want and discomfort against things as they
are To them the old revolution uader Gariba.di
ard a new revolution in the name OF Anarchy are
but two consecutive acts OF confirmed revolution
ary habit
No compete study has yet been made OF the
actual state Of the Anarch!s; movement In Italy
ns thus DISTINGUISHED from other forms Of reyo.u-
Even the orthodox Colectiyst Socialism creeps
underground IN This cassie and OF political and
Other discrimination. It's centre - ~ Milan win
Sgnor Tura;l as rs exp0nen' In review OF note
worthy character The international Socialism,
tending 10 DO away with the principle OF nationality
In favor II unlimited local federation IS more widely
spread IN this Italy. which is now united litte
m 70 than by artificial politics. And where inter
natlonallsm has spread among dscontented work
ingInep there the apostles OF Anarchy inl the fed
open % them.
The best examples ~ this may perhaps be found
In the aggomera, lions o; Italian workngmen in
Zurich and Nlrseil,es. Hsrs Anarchy Is rampant,
and 81 the root OF the troubles caused during the
las, year to the Swiss and French governments. AS
in France however in Italy Itself the active An
archiSts-those who practise the propaganda by
declare few In number, gathered In cosmopolitan
cites Ike Rome. and regularly men Of hat-educa-
ton AMI A more than entire ambition for no;oristy.
The best IDEA which az presen; b. formed OF
the Italian Ana rchsts Is to be derived from study
NJ thor leaders from the beginning. II IL al the
more Interesting az the secrecy Of the movement
and its tendency 20 violence come quite as much
from the Italian comrades from Russian Nlh.ists.
Among the disciples who gathered round Baku-
Mn IN his Swiss refuge during his later years
there were seyera. Italians Carlo Cahero was
chosen along with Elisee Recus. TO write the off,
clal panegyrlc OF the founder of Anarchism. Three
months later. in october. 1876. Canero and Enrco
Maiatesta read at the congress OF the party In
3erne n declaration that for the frat time put for
ward the ''nsurrectional deed" the Attest means
OF propagatng Anarchist theories. This was pub
lished In many words in the December number
OF the Bulletin de la Federation Jurassienne," the
name which Bakunin had given 70 his association
when It seeded fromfthe Internationa.c
The Italian Federation believes that the insurrec
tlonal deed calculated TO assert Socialist principles
Inv acts is the most effective Of propa-
90 nda and the only one which without corrupting
and deceiving the masses, can penetrate to the
forces Of humanity In the struggle undertaken by
the Internationnle.
II should be remarked that al this time the An
erchist leaders did not dream OF separating them
selves even IN name. from Socialists and the In
tarnationaie Il was two years later before ElIsee