Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-19

1913 and the beginning Of '94, the worthy
epilogue of which was the sentences of i'm
prisonment amounting in the aggregate to
some centuries, sentences aggravated by
solitary confinement, inflicted by martial
law upon numberless citizens.
But revulsion in pubic opinion showed
itself before long, public indignation was
excited and in bye-elections at first, as.er-
wards In the general elections; abca:i oJ, 400
votes were polled in favor of the imprisoned
Socialists, six of whom were elected to
Parliament.
Crispi's personal hatred of some Of the
imprisoned members and the fears Of the
governing class were still so strong that the
protest Of the nation was UNDECIDED. The
sentences were only slightly reduced.
The most implacable and most odious
representative Of the bourgeoise continued,
however, his policy Of persecution and his
efforts to break up the Socialist party. As
he had extorted from Parliament by false
and lying assurances measure nominally
directed against Anarchists, but applied
against Socialists, Crispi decreed the sup
preston in one day of all Socialist societies.
The members were brought before the or
binary tribunal and charged with melting
to class hatred. The courts performed their
duty bravely; unless brought before some
exceptional magistrate or still more ex-
ceptional tribunal the Socialists were SEN
fenced to several months ''confino,'' often
to months Of Imprisonment. They were,
moreover sedulously confused with An
archists and sent to the dungeons to hard
labor-under the exceptional law directed
against the latter-where many Of them
still suffer.
The Socialist party thus found itself dis
organized, but not vanquished, nor with
less faith and confidence in itself. 1t is
necessary to add that Crispi's Government
had removed from the electoral lists more
than 700, 900 voters, the greater number OF
whom, it is needless to say, belonged to
the proletariat.
The First Of May was religiously cele-
brated throughout the peninsula, and in
supplement to La Lolita del Classe (The
Glass Struggle, our central organ) Of which
| some hundred thousand copies were cir
culated, we argued the necessity Of the
struggle for the suffrage and of the con-
quest Of the public powers. Afterwards,
in the general election of May 20, the party
took part in the struggle, in some instances
with its own candidates and in others in
alliance with the Radical party, according
| to the special circumstances of each place.
The result was splendid moral victory.
1t was thus that our 90, 900 votes grew to
creased to eight, while we added another
to this number in the supplementary cleo
tions and gained still other victories.
Soon after the war in Africa broke ont in
its full intensity, war instigate1 and car
| ried ON in the interests of adventures and
spectators by Minister who dared not
render an account to the nation Of his ~
| Equities, and who finished with the
massacre of Adowah.
In this massacre we swept away nearly
all the ideals and hopes that had been
created in Italy as to the ability of our su
perior veteran officers and the advantage of
colonial enterprise.
Wutu Juc utWS VI Uuis CdtbStiOpHO
reached Italy a formidable cry of indigna-
ton rang from one end of the country to
the other. The bourgeoisie itself, grieved
by the massacre of its children and solicit
GUS for its treasure, also protested and
demonstrated with the workers in de-
manding the recall of our troops from
Africa, and that the responsibility for the
-
right shoulders, and the guilty party be
formally accused. At Farmer, at Pavia,
at Milan, at Rome were witnessed the pop
ular manifestations which precede revolu-
tions. The Socialists-deputies and pub
licists-put themselves at the head Of these
demonstrations, and endeavored to con-
centrate and organize the popular resent
ment. 1t seemed inevitable that the fall Of
the minister must necessarily lead to a COM
plete change in the form of government.
But that was not permitted by the political
and economic conditions Of the nation. The
Republican party, the most directly inter-
Sted, has neither a strong, solid, nor
we'll disciplined organization; the bour-
geoisie does not yet sufficiently feel the
weight of the present form of government
to desire to change it, and the proletariat-
mostly ignorant, only in part Socialists
not consequently greatly interested in sac
rifcing itself merely to substitute the
phrygian cap for the crown of our present
monarchy.
The Ministry of Crispi resigned, the pop
ular manifestations were suppressed, not
altogether without bloodshed, and the
Marquis de Rudini, Conservative Liberal,
a landlord, proprietor of one of those large
rural estates called latifondi, came to
power. The Marquis de Rudini counter
manded the dispatch of the troops from
Africa, and obtained from the King Of
Italy full amnesty for all those condemned
by the courts martial.
1t is impossible to describe the joy with
which the Italian proletarians welcomed
the return of their comrades to the light Of
day, after twenty-s six months Of imprison-
ment. Garibaldi Bosco, Giuseppe de Felice.
and Nicola Barbato-all deputies-had the
grandest and most enthusiastic receptions.
Now that the most acute period of perse
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