New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
PARTY POLITICS ~ ITALY.


A somewhat dsQuieting menace TO the exist
ing order Of things in Italy is made in the de
mand of the Radicals led by Signor Cavaliotti,
for a dissolution of Parliament and new cleo
ton. The only reason openly urged for such Il
course is that the present Parliament was elect
ed under the administration Of Signor Crisp. ana
therefore is not TO be trusted by Signor Crispl
opponents, who are now in power one would
imagine that was matter for the Ministry vi
the day to determine The Radicals make Inc
demand. however, with Il great show or earnest
ness and declare that if it is not granted they
will no longer support the Ministry, but will do
their utmost to overthrow It. At present the
Ministry shows no sign Of yielding. 1t PROB
ably realizes that If il did order a new election
il would not command the support Of n majority
OF the new Chamber-for it seems 10 be fixed
rule in Italian politics that the Ministry ordering
an election is sure TO be Overthrown by the re-
sulting new Chamber Therefore it prefers to
fight the Radicals rather than 10 commit suicide
in which it shows wisdom. There is reason to
believe il could command the support OF strong
majority Of the Chamber if il broke with the
Radicals altogether.
The inciden. serves to emphasize what must
be regarded as the most serious defect of the
Italian Parliamentary system-namey. the lack
of anything like government by party; ana the
evils which Italy is suffering. through frequent
changes of Ministry. instability of policy ana
lack of confidence in the Government. form
striking object-lesson TO those who regard par
ties political curse. Since the days of Ca
YOUR no Italian Ministry has had the support OF
a homogeneous party. Every one has mad 10
cater to the demands Of a number OF factions. in
order TO secure their support. The result mas
been not merely instability hut vast amount
of jobbery and corruption 1t was said few
years ago that the Government was trying to
build a railroad through the estate Of every
Deputy in the Chamber. There was as much
truth as eXaggeration in the statement. Millions
of dollars were squandered on useless public
works to satisfy the demands OF politicians
whose support was necessary to the stability OF
the Ministry. Even thus no Ministry has ever
been secure. The present Radical move is I'M
doubtedly intended still further 10 unsettlc af-
fairs and indeed 10 lead TO n revolution which
shall overthrow the whole existing order
In the DAYS Of Cavour there was party gov
ernment Parliament was divided into two great
parties. the Conservative Right and the Liberal
Left. During the unificatiOn period the Right
continuously held office. But when unification
was accomplished, in 1870, great change oc-
Cured in the issues before the country, and in
1876, on platform demanding internal re-
FORM" the Left came into power for the first
time under the leadership OF Depretis. Re
form" was then seen to mean lavish expenditure
of public money for every imaginable purpose
The Right had been economical almost to pars
mony The Left became extravagant to profit
gacy Railroads. harbors. armies, naves schools.
drainage and innumerable other public works
sprang up like Aladdin's palace, and the sala-
ries Of officeholders with them. The currency
was inflated. and shrewd bookkeeping concealed
the dimensions Of the swiftly growing debt. The
nation was carried to the verge Of bankruptcy.
Then it a. -oke and demanded an accounting and
real refor
Now Depretis not only led the country into
this spendthrft madness. but he also destroyed
the old party lines. When he died his successor,
Signor Crispi. found n dozen janglng factions,
of which he had in some way, to placate and
subsidize 4 majority. 1t is the effort to do that
that has made his administrations and those of
Signor Golttl and the Marquis d Rudini 50
unsatisfactory and unsuccessful To-day the
Chamber is chaos People may speak of the
Right and Centre and Left hut those names
have no real significance. There are dozen or
more groups. no two agreeing, and no one with
a definite composition and a definite policy. \
Cabinet must he a congomerate affair, and its
policy must be equally conglomerate We all
remember the old fable about the man who tried
TO please everybody and succeeded in pleasing
mono That is too often the experience Of Ital-
ian Ministries, and will continue TO be until
strong homogeneous majority party is formed.
The formation Of such party would be one of
the greatest political blessings that could befal
the Kingdom