The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-16
TEN PAGES.
MONDAY. MAY rs. 1898.
The italian Revolution.
~ HOSE who are fond of drawing
historical parallels are finding

historical parallels are finding
many points of resemblance be-
tween the present disturbances in Italy.
popularity called the bread riots. and
the incidents attending the outbreak of
the French revolution in 1889. The
Italians cannot blame their troubles on
their king. Like Louis XVI, or. COM
ing down TO our own times. like the
queen regent Of Spain, King Humbert
possesses a mild and benevolent dispo-
eition: he has claimed to be a friend to
the people. and. in fact. has been as
far as he could be and still preserve
Italy's extreme monarchial institu-
lions.
The need of bread Is not the sole
p~rovocation of these riots. The anger
of IN Italian people against the Italian
government IL deep seated; IL has been
growing with every fresh evidence of
the governments inability or unwill-
ingness to lessen the burdens of taxa
ton. 1t is this anger that Is finding
expression. Long have the people sub
United TO q system of relentless extor-
tion. Italy's ambition to be a great
military and naval power-the burden
of her immense standing army-that Is
the principal cause OF the popular dis
content which has resulted In the pres
ent revolutionary movement. The peo-
pie are poor n they have been taxed
beyond their capacity. The men have
been taken from their shops. their
farms, their schools and turned into
sheer consumers for whom the people
who remained at their tasks had to
work the harder. mo condition of
war" rays one writer. discussing the
Italian situation. justified this army.
II was. maintained for no better reason
ing armies. too. Unendurable drafts
had been made on the resource OF the
masses in taxes, in time, in physical
strength. in the sarcifce OF the best
years, in payments for the support of
titled classes and idle classes. Sub
mission to this state OF things was sure
to ease. II was only a question of
when the rising was to come"
The Italian government does not I'M
derestimate the gravity OF the crisis
confronting II. by the severest restrict
I've measures IL is seeking to throttle
the revolution at its birth-measures SO
severe that they are likely to react and
foment the fury OF the frenzied masses.
So Il was in france one hundred and
ten years ago. BY changing names
and dates and altering the background
q little here and there. some chapters
OF Thomas Carlyle's French Revolu-
ton" could be applied to the current
history of Italy. and the At would be
''sheps are looted. barbados are con-
etructed. nunneries IND monasteries are
invaded. moneyed men are killed n
their wealth appropriated. and In a
frenzy for destruction streets cars are
overturned. shade trees hacked down.
gas lamps n electric lights destroyed
and houses burned. II is all pitiable,
but let us look a little beyond and see
what underlies all this agitation. Ex-
cept in America no revolution ever be-
gan without violence like this. Deeds
seem to indicate c~owardice, dis-
honesty and savagery are not in these
cases what they seem. They are in
cidents Of Q blind revolt of men made
desperate by age-long injuries. age-long
expressions. II Is the emotional ma
ture Of the Latins hat leads them TO
useless RACES thai viii be repented
when the rights they struggle for have
been obtaind." Southern Europe trem-
bles In the throes Of social earthquakes.
A writer in the Brooklyn Eagle says:
Spafn's war with the United States
n slight in its significance when soErssred
with the war u has begun against i:sc'f.
The Greeks, who are a partly Iainized
people and not the stock Of heroic days.
have but recently been beaten oy the
Noslem and worse beaten by their own
unresdinexs and ineniciency. Now Italy
10 IN rebellion. Even Italian-SWt'serland
sends emissaries across its border 10 help