Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-01-18
FROM. ITALY,.
The Condition OF the Italian Peoplc--Tax-
alton. Sights and scenes in Florence.
FLORENCE, Dec %, 1893.

| 1t has been pretty hard times in the Unit |
ed States; but the times are far harder i'll
| Italy. This country is poor almost to the
verge of universal bankruptcy. The tax
| alton made necessary by the great stand |
ing army and expensive navy which Italy
| feels bound to maintain as a member of the
| Triple alliance and as a defence against pos
sibe French aggressons and French and Rus
sian control of the Mediterranean, is fearful.
Every railroad ticket sold, every bill
receipted, every bunch of matches burned.
| in fact every article consumed, worn used
is taxed all that the people can bear. Not
only is the national taxation crushing. but
the separate cities run their own local GUS
tom houses and collect duties en- the produce
and manufactures that are hr II hit in from
the country round The Government must
have more revenue; but how to get it puzzles
the wisest. In Sicily. the peasants are in
open revolt under the last straw of an
eXaction which taxes goats milk before it
mas been drawn from the uddcr of the goat;
and they have many sympathizers in other
parts of Italy Many banks and business
houses have failed. The best paper cur
| rency-that of the National bank of Italy
is at a discount of between II and II per
cent for gold. Gold has disappeared from
circulation; silver coins are extremely scarce
and unobtainablc in any quantity: even the
copper centinps and sodi. which with the
paper lire, issued by the government, con
stitute the small currency, arc at Il premium
of nearly , per cent. The scarcity of small
change of any kind is very annoying, alike
TO natives and Foreigners, the latter of
whom especially, find it very hard to I'M
! ! 4 ,,J ,,. 10, to bn
Pitt gaiery-a government institution
the seller of admission tickets could not
chang, a five-franc note offered IN payment
for n ticket the other day; and the shop
keepers often prefer to trust strangers who
make purchases rather than to make change
for them Where or how this country is
l coming out from its troubles cannot see
The wonder is that the Italians can keep up
their spirits as they do. They are a very
> light hearted cheerful, amiabe and remark
| ably polite people Astounding IN pleasant
l phrases and little courtesies. The number
of oilers strikes every stranger. or at least
every American stranger With surprise. On
5 any of the frequent church festivals here
, You will find the square of the SignOria full
of ahle-hodiGd men, simply talking or stand
ing in the sun. all the day: and any special
l event, grand funeral or procession, fills
) the square i'll the same way ON other days.
. 1t i, generally pretty comfortably dressed
l. crowd: but there are many signs of poverty
e III the streets. Beggars swarm everywhere
= and are importunate Dirty and mkempt
bareheaded women are plenty. We notice
many dwarts every where the results, | sup
pose of starvation and stuntcd lives. There
. are also. however. many large and fine look
~ ing men-many of them officers in the army
soldiers abound hrre--on thc streets; and
: now and then one secs a handsome woman.
. though feminine beauty appears to be much
It rarer that in America. Children are plenty
c and the Italian children are for the most
= part quite pretty
T. Among the strange sights to he seen oc-
, casionally on the streets here, is Il funeral
T. conducted by the 'Misercordia. This is
! secret brotherhood. which has existed in
= Florence for more than 700 years. 1t was
It formed in the words of one of its old stat
: utcs. for 'wort, If charity and mercy,
o and especially the bringing of the poor and
7 wretched dead, without any pay or regard
= but only for the love of Jesus Christ - In
W the times Of the great historical plaques
which devastated old Florence. and III later
~ cholera epidenlics, this brotherhood has done
II a noble work: and it still continues to care
- for the pauper sick and to bury the poor
'n and wretchcl dead 1t is said that King
l. IIumbert belongs to it, and takes his
IL turn of duty, with the rest, when he Is in
III Florence Its members are divided into sec
tions or watches" which take their turns
y of service for so many days ut time. At
IS the tollng of a certain heavy bell, whose
III summons is almost daily heard, the members
of the watch assemble at their chapter
house. are notified by their chief whore thell
services are needed. and putting on long
J., black gowns, and black masks which cover
the entire head, except that two narrow
Sits are cut for the eyes, and taking bier
OF if a burial is al hand. they depart to then
81 duty. No one outside the order knows who
w. they are; but all the people in the streets If
Il their hats and the sentnels ON guard pre-
81 sent arms as they pass; and no on
"a who has read anything of the histor,
no of the Miscricordia can repress thrill
u of emotion as ne sees one of thes
VII yelled professions of men who thus ODE!
II the command not to be seen of men in the
ne good deeds bearing to the Christian burial
N which the Roman Catholic deems so essen
III tial to the welfare of the departed soul, tn
Oh body of some friendless wait.
zee All OF the professions here are not marked
ne by such humility We saw one in the cathe
rs dral the other sday. \ prelate, rohed i
crimson and gold, bearing the host, under
: gorgeous canopy, borne by eight attendant
lie followed by many priests in splendidly EN-
l., broideled NANTES, and these followed b
[. many acolytes and choir boys, carrying ia
ed candles, moved out from behind the hig
as altar, and with pealing organ and chant
les and swinging censor, slowly mad
W. the circuit of the immense interior
ey, The hundreds of candles blazing on tho a
hes tars, aud the hundred or two more borne /
'ge the procession lighted up, as the light Of I'll
CT sun never does, the dim aisles and great co
umns: and the scene showed us one OF IL
ted ways in which the Roman church holds i
SUI influence with this spectacle-loving people
out We stood, to watch it, almost on the spC
'lal where, ON the Sunday before Ascension
ons 1l;S, "Lorenzo the Magnificent, and Il
OF corrupt, dissoute and tYrannical as we'll
the was stabbed by priest and his young br
On ther Giuleauo de Medici, was slain, viii
Gu kneeling at high mass The murder was pa
,,I a.,