New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-09
FRANCISCO CRISP.
.nvrNrUROUS CAREER AND AG-
,,rssryE PERSONALITY OF THE
ITALIAN PREMIER.
nf 40 Trlhune.

49,, Editor Of The Tribune.
TO INC . crispl came back 20 power the other
sir: 80 n sigh OF relief throughout Italy.
day N,,,,er Of hope that he would frame such
ana ard vigorously pursue IT, as would heip
ponc,, somewhat in the distressed Kingdom. II
ma'" se,,ouslv expected that he. or Indeed any
was not - rronoD,,v aver, the impending disaster,
man. 80 ,c,ost despairinS OF permanent cure.
but We. ,e-arv hoped that he could pull the In
4 was -, ,nr,ugh the crisis Even 20 defer the
yala ". much with the chance that in the
eras" o,,rse az events something might turn up
na'" ,u, Italy back again Into position OF
R'' -, stability. And 50 Crispis return TO power
hn~', It'd with general satisfaction. lie was wei
WIS r.,ber with suIen confidence than with 10y
CONF. .hrslasm: for. personally. he has never been
Ois eI,her with the politicians or the masses,
pop..' h l,ed by the King. the court or the higher
y" The call was desperate. and desperate
e'S had become necessary. 4 strong man
Ts''sad Crlspi was felt 10 be that man. HIS
"a'ud,orv career was familiar TO every one
r.cord he made when he was Prime Minister
- was remembered for It's general results
- details OF that record were lost sight or lie
a.ollcd as the friend and intimate adviser OF
wax and as one Of the chief creators OF 'hat
sI,. Alliance that had made Italy such definite
IMP d tho European councils, rather than as the
a. Minister who had so gravely added to the
- of taxes carried by his countrymen--or as
~ s..tesrnan who had so persstently irrI'a'@d the
..'.or and had preciqitated against MS hihs an"
-. the active hatred Of the French. 'a'nhS
v' h.,k 10 restore order II seemed forgotten mat
Gas he who had largely effected Inc ulScoru anu
,u,tndng ruin IL,
.os enormous. and was growing appallingy.
~ Iii, was wofully impaired Her people were
He ,,o under the most oppressive taxes of any
- IN Europe. Her industries were idle from
sans.lon Her import revenues had run 10 the
IS, ebS since the Cnifcation. Her population was
,~,rsbing pitfuiy from emigration ana from
+ hsorn,on OF q large proportion of the young
'De ,.o ,he army. The agricultural districts.
NV" limos, unremuneratlve. were deserted by the
STE who fed in droves to the cities clamor-
- cor eroplovment on the public works mat I'M
sse nolIcy Of previous governments OF sNms e'i-
W." 80. "a the masses upon public improvements
"a nerforce TO finally abandoned. Iheh came
.',.s and bloodshed. The soldiers were marched 10
49,, -. na Of strife and. firing into the mobs. Killed
,soss If their own blood or dearest ties Inc houf
,.s -,nened for the apostles of Socialism Their
''' ''rs 80 i,stidel bv the facts They had only
t,,a oil unon the Government. They were with
~. ronev THE Government had robbed them.
rNsv were hungry. 1T was the Government '"a'
,,d absorbed the fruit Of their lands They were
.i,Aout EMPLOYMENT because the Government had
- need 10 conclliate them now, feeoe anu poor d.
,ssv were And their sons and brothers ana nus
-. had been taken from them Why? To make
.osers 10 fight the battles Of the tyrant Govern
won, Joined to the ranks Of the Socialists ana
Communists were strong preachers OF Anarchy and
49, rIgbt ~ violence Troubles were frequent /
.o,s tho foundations of Lombardy. Tuscany and /
NAMES Sicily always the head-centre OF rotons /
revolutions became. from end to end or the ISL !
and a yeritable volcano Of disorder. one by one !
the nroy+nces were growing desperate. ana Anarchy
embodened by the universally or the upr's'"sS'
carried n bomb 10 the very seat Of the National
Government in Rome and exploded II oeIore '"e
door Of the Parliament House.
Such was the general condition Of affairs IN Italy
when the late Ministry fell. and Francesca Crisp
was called by his King to steer the dismanten
bark "E uomo forte" every Italian said or CrlspL
"He's man Of strength" was the national verdict /
and even that group Of Socialist legislators win !
the eccentric lmbriani at their head assen'ed 10
the new Premlers force OF character. Hut force
Of character implied rather the prosecution OF a |
vigorous policy than the conception OF one OF such |
financial fnesse as 10 find a way out OF the dlil- /
Guilty And so Il has proved. The first move OF I
the new Ministry. as announced in the latest caoe ,
sivces shows that the Premier counts more upon /
strength than skill in handling the helm lie mas /
submitted to the Chamber OF Deputies, ana the /
Chamber has accepted budget proposing an IN
crease in taxes and a reduction in the expenses OF
Government.
This may prove worse than unwise as govern
mental act for It Is likely 10 enrage still further J
he ax-ridden people. and may precipitste a popu- I
lar revolution. But. Ike al. Of CrisIls puOnc
and private acts. IT has the stamp OF as-
sre;slye bodness "Simllia similibus curaniur. AS /
has been said It Is he who is chiefly responsible by
the excessive taxation imposed during his previous
administration and still enforced. for the present
disastrous condition OF the country. IT, then. he Is .
hack OT X
Ing why may not the drug that has poisoned the
rational system be made to serve as medicine ana /
tonic TO bring back health again? 1t may be worth /
the experiment at least desperate though 1t Is; ana
Cispi Is not the man 10 shrink tmidly from b
trial
HIS life has been one continued series OF expert +
menis. and they have landed him in the highest
honor that his ambition could ever aspire TO. once
revolutionary soldier and republican Red
Snrt he lived long enough 10 become the chiei
minister Of a king and TO wear the collar Of the .
santssma Annunziata." lie experimental in T.
Aaumony. and shocked the public morals and VIC
@'ea the law in the land Of his birth and residence;
es abandoned the wife who had helped him escape
non prison. and to whom he was bound much
"a law as in gratitude. and adopted IT. her stead
'ae woman who presiding over his household
"hsn he was at the head Of the Congress that
populated proposed law 10 legalze divorce, and
'AOm the pure Queen Margherita had 10 receive
r. ef as the de facto spouse OF the Prime Minister.
~ ~ MS youth he lived In France swore by every
80 80 French and swOre al the Prusslans, anu
LAM years later hurled ana herlas across the Alps
T,aa.lsu ms countrymen into frenzy against
80 SHee. VISITED Fredrichsruh - embrace Bsmarck.
80 ~ PelSed MS King ana people 10 loving all
~. WIN Germany ana Austria-the same Austria
10. ~ hot many years before he frothed at as an
N.Y. saesnte In 1894 he sent armed troops 10 his ma
~, ocny. with orders 20 stamp out. a. every
a. IusI such disorder and rebellion he foment-
~ sorlned IN and fought for with GaribaldL
chs no' the type OF man 10 be deferred by any
snr So OF inconsistency, or 10 be embarrassed by
Il aunt OF disloyalty 10 iGo OF the past lie
Is go. sal 70 me cause, whatever II be- In which he
saseu lie IS. above all. Influenced by strong
r1Sl y.aI ambition one Of the Milan newspapers
il'ttSneu cartoon Of him several years ago. with
~, INSCRIPTION. The Italian Bismarck" This was
nan - many public men Of Italy 10 have hit the !
no, ~ HSTlSpis ambition sqUafely the head. In
raj S, ne IS not unlike the Iron Chancellor. In
ra r n,e mere IS scarcely any resemblance. except
vn,iLau . ter short white mustache they both wear
ana ~. he great German. Crisp IS OF shor; stature
sigh, e OF ROBUST build although by no means Of
IN Sses y. aehcaie frame. He IS of dark skin but
Ike EN- years his face has grown of almost death
fesrppa' eheSs His eyes are the most conspicuous