The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-03-29
Hazel Green Herald.
SPENCER COOPER, PsblI.A..
HAZEL GREEN. so, Ky
a People Demoraiized by Brlxandage an a
Crimes OF All Kinds.

a People Demoraiized by Brixandas. ana
Grimes Of An Kinds.
Sig. Tasio has written for the Lera.
del Benc an article ON Sicilian labor
unions. lie nscribes the deplorable
state of affairs on the islands TO two
causes-thc unions, or fasci del layora.
tori. and brigandage. The latter. he
says, Is greatly fostered by the fact
that there are large districts without
roads. The laborers are uneducated
and live like beasts, ignorant of their
social duties and of the law. The
riches OF the island are absorbed by
the large proprietors and bankers.
The signors live I'm Palermo and let
their lands to the gabellotti, who sub
net them to sub-gabellotti, who relct
them to peasants, the contract system
enabling them to Cypress the latter.
The peasant tills the land entirely at
his own expense, keeps a fourth
OF the produce and surrenders
the remainder TO the landlord.
The laborers' wages average five CEN
times an hour, and are almost always
paid In inferior bread and wine. When
they are out of work they borrow corn
OF The landlord, who charges twenty
six per cent. for six months. Crime of
all sorts results.
The penal statistics of Sicily are the
worst in Italy. The extreme verge of
labor tyranny has been reached in the
case OF the carusi, or mine boys, under
Twelve wears OF age, who carry sulphur
ont OF the pit, climbing steep, narrow
gangways more than three hundred
feet high. The pieconieri, who extract
one sulphur, engage the boys by adj
vancing To their parents -four or corn
worth fifty francs. So long as the par
ents are in debt the boys remain slaves,
their masters being able even to kill
them without risk. Recently one boy
was killed by eight strokes of pick
and another by kick in the stomach
The officials gave their deaths as
Edue to natural causes. The boys are
Rpale, sickly, STOPPING and ricketty, and
they suffer continually from fatigue
Their backs are scored with old
wounds. They work twelve hours IA
day, sleep in the mines, and feed on
bread and onions. They can obtain
water only by long walk. Military
statistics prove that conscripts who
have been carusi are incapable Of
service, owing to sickness and defects
in physique,
Brigandage is the direct result of all
this, the people having reached the
limit of endurance. Those most hon
estly inclined have taken refuge in the
1asei Women have become the Soul Of
the movement. One hundred and thirty
unions exist In Sicily, with total
membership of three hundred thou
sand The unions are strongest in
Palermo. The character of the unions
has changed since they were founded
Now all the members are disciples
of Marx. Tho most ignorant, perhaps,
never heard OF Marx, but they aim at
an equal distribution of houses and
lnnd. Each union possesses pass.
word and method of communication.
enabling il TO distribute messages
swiftly. Each has its own police, who
inform the members of all the doinCs
of the government police. Asystem
OF mutual insurance and sick relief ex-
lists. The fasci have established schools
for children and adults, W herein the
value of money, the duties and rights
-nfworlxmen, and the theories of social
ism Nand collectivism are taught
Many members have abandoned
church going, hating the priests as
tyrants. This movement so far is non
political. aiming only TO secure decent
means of livelihood and freedom from
I tyranny.--N. " Sun.