New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-23
ITITIrS SAD CONDITION..

Cable dispatches from Italy indicate that the
disturbances in Sicily have been suppressed Tor
the time ut least. by military force Slgnor
Crispi Is manipulating the Italian Parliament
with his accustomed willy skill, and the fnan-
cial budget In which the King and his Urine
Minister place so much confidence Is winning
a spccio,is because insidiously enforced. sup
port The triumph of Crisp however, Is being
reared upon foundation of oppression which
must he changed. and will inevitably be
clnngcd-pcrhaps by revolution The signs or
the times point 10 4 violent modification OF the
existing order OF things unless the King Is
brought 10 his senses. In the February and
March numbers of THE Fortnightly' there
have appeared papers the Italian situation
by AN Observer" whose views bear the i'm
press Of knowledge and sincerity. They are
confirmed moreover, by the reports Of eye
witnesses whose statements can be trusted.
This writer paints n sckcning picture OF ma
tional distress brought about by excessive taxa
ton and the burden Of military force out OF
all proportion to the real needs Of the peninsula
The Triple Alliance IS breaking Italy's back.
The text OF the treaty Is unknown 10 the pco-
pie but "rumors have been heard that there
are private riders attached to 1t which per-
sonally bind the House OF Savoy TO the House
Of Hohcnz0lcrn." Whatever may lie behind
this unfortunate pact. this much Is certain that
In order TO maintain his armies upon the footing
demanded 10y the terms OF the agreement the
King is cxtortlng the last copper from pop
ulacc that has already been squeezed almost
beyond endurance Trade Is siagnant An
American phanthropist who tried not long ago
10 interest n number of Italians and foreigners
In Il scheme for starting several Roman facto-
rics and thereby giving work 10 hundreds OF
starving artisans, was assured by the person
To whom application was first made that moth
ing could be- done. The rich are unwilling TO
risk their money in schemes which Will sooner
or later be- killed by taxes. Agriculture is
suffering indcScribablc panic. Every article OF
food that passes the dogma ut every town (thc
customs bureau, n 1t would be called hcre) Is
subjected To an exorbitant tax. The rigor with
which the traffic in salt is supervised may be
Inferred from the fact that n poor man being
on the scashorc is not allowed TO take up more
than one pail Of sea water TO his house in one
day lest he should expose the water 10 the heat
Of the sun and use the few salt crystals which
the cvaporated water would leave at the bot
tom Of the pail
The upper classes In the main. look on nj this
barbarity and dozens of other abuses like 1t.
with complete Indifference. They are inert
save when their own interests are to be served,
and then they insist upon their tenants Civ
ing up the last farthing. Their callousness
knows no bounds. "A noblcman sold 4 horse.
which had served him thirty years, for ID
francs, His stableman begged that it might
be allowed TO die in peace In its old home. but
he refused the poor old four servant
was sold for - francs. Under all the sentl
mental and suavc phrases Of which the Italian
gentleman Is always profusc there Is an in
tense egotsm. Il perfectly impcnetrablc self
love and indifference to everything outside self
which can scarcely be imagined by those who
have not had occasion TO brliisc themselves
against that unyicldng stone wall" The COM
mon people and the educated middle class who
venture TO writhc under the despotism Of the
mobiles and the Government are forthwith ap-
pretended. tried by court-martlal under the
flimsy pretext Of "incitng to hatred between the
classes and clapped into filthy prisons TO rot
there under infamous sentences. MOnari, n
young lawyer who ventured to crticse the
Crisp Government, has been sentenced to TWEEN
ty-threc years Imprisonment.
The Kingdom of Italy Is constitutional Crispi |
Is seconding his master, with every expedient
Of secret and INSCRIPTIONS msmanagcment In
what can only be construed as an aim to esab |
llsh despotic rule. The misery already cntailcd |
has been enormous The responsibility for It Is |
fastened easily enough by the Government and |
It's corrupt supporters, upon anarchy, but that
Is no more than IN evasion. The Scilian |
Deputy, Ginfrrida, whose case has been exciting |
vast attention. is not an Anarchist He il sim
ply republican, who no issue from the |
present frghtful crisis save an appeal to the
patriotic impulses OF Il nation which produced |
Mazzlni and Garibaldi. and may be expected |
to produce their prototypes. When those proto
types arise the situation for the King. for |
Crspi and for the sothful mobiles who are bat |
tenng upon what Is left Of prosperity In Italy. |
will be critical. How soon 1t will be reached |
Is question which must stir the heart Of every |