The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-03-29
Hazel Green Herald.
sFENcrR ooorrR, Publl.A..
nAzBL GREEN. KY
slclLY.s pEAsANrRY.
a People DomoraIised by RrixandaRe anu
Crimes of All Kinds.

People DomorRIixed by Hrixandawe nnu
Crimes of All Kinds.
Sig. Tazio has written for the Lega.
del Benc an article on Sicilian labor
nnions. lie nscribes the deplorable
state OF affairs on the islands 10 two
causes--the unions. or fasci del lavora-
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 In Palermo and let
their lands to the gabellotti, who sub
1cS them to sub-gabellotti, who relet
them to peasants, the contract system
enabling them to Cypress the latter.
The peasant tills the land entirely at
his own expense, keeps 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
o. 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 years OF age, who carry sulphur
out OF the pit, climbing steep, narrow
Qangways more than three hundred
feet high. The pieconieri, who extract
one sulphur, engage the boys by adj
vauciug To their parents -four or corn
worth fifty francs. So long as the par
ents are in debt the boys remain slaves.
thcir masters being able even TO kill
them without risk. Recently one boy
was killed by eight strokes of a pick
and another by kick in the stomach.
The officials gave their deaths ms
due TO natural causes. The boys are
pale, siclSly, stopping and ricketty, and
they suffer continually from fatigue.
Their backs are scored with old
wounds. They work twelve hours a
day, sleep in the mines, and feed on
bread and onions. They can obtain
water only by a long walk. Military
statistics prove that conscripts who
have been carusi are incapable of
service, owing to sickness and defects
y 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
TNssi, 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
ah equal distribution of houses and
land. 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 doings
of the government police. A system
OF mutual insurance and sick relief ex-
lists. The fasci have established schools
for children and adults, herein the
value of money, the duties and rights
-nf workmen, and the theories of social
ism and collectivism are taught.
Many members have abandoned
church going, hating the priests as
tyrants, This movement so far Is nom
toltical, aiming only to secure decent
means of livelihood and freedom from
tyranny.-N. Y. Sun.