The times., 1898-05-17
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.


in Italy will develop into something more
serious than rios. possibly an uprising
that will make change in the govern
ment. The people have been so long
starved and down-trodden that their con-
dition is no longer endurable. They sui
lenly resent any further imposition. The
king and queen are beloved by the people.
They are generous in their gifts and
active in their efforts to ameIiorate the
suffering of the Italians. But they have
not been able to shape the policy of their
government in such a way as to insure
the continuance of their standing army
and at the same time the peace and pros
perIty of the people.
Beginning in the south, the discomfort
has Travelled north until now the bread
riots have invaded rich and prosperous
Milan, the most opulent city of Lombardy.
The Corso and the Bastioni, where
wealth and aristocratic loveliness have
been accustomed TO assemble to prone
made and to drive on these beautiful
Spring afternoons are barricaded by over
turned horse cars-common horse cars
that the poor may ride in anywhere about
the city for two cents. The streets are
ilileu WITH STONES, cflliuleyS,
parts of the roofs of buildings which the
unhappy rioters have hurled down upon
the soldiers. The prancing horses and gay
equipages OF the rich are, for the time
being, resting quietly in their comfortable
quarters. we'll fed and well looked after
much more so, in fact, than thousands
Of human beings who are dying for want
of bread in Italy today. A thousand kill
ed, thousand wouuded-that is the days
record! But the superior trained force
of the soldiers has gained control of the
city, and for the time being the rioters
are perforce quiet. Parliament has long
been talking of reducing the excessive
tax on bread and -four but parliament
has need of that tax to help keep up its
army, of which those gorgeously equip
ped officers are a part who. by force of
arms have quelied into submission the
starving poor.
These bread riots started a short time
ago in the southern islands. in Sicily, and
have rapidly travelled northward through
Naples. Rome, Faenza. Florence. Bologna,
Trieste, Leghorn. Pisa Milan. AT Rome
an immense crowd of the unemployed
went to the minister and demanded work
The price of bread had risen, they had no
work and were starving. But the guards
and carbineers charged upon and dis
persed them. Many were hurt. At Facn-
"a, where the beautiful Faience ware is
made, the women assembled in crowds
and with stones smashed the windows of
! the building that sheltered the mayor.
! The stones were thrown by women. yet
many of the guards were wounded. In
all the cities the guards had to be called
out to quell the disturbance, and in almost
every instance there were people wounded
or killed. And yet they continued 10 as
semble and demand work. At one gath
ering at the municipio in Rome there
was a gaunt, haIf-starved woman with
puny child in her arms. A member of
the municipal body noticed and pitied
( her. He offered her two lire forty cents).
buI she Indignantly refused II. She was
starving, but she would not accept
charity: she wanted work by which she
could honestly support herself and her
/ child.
The riots have been gradually gaining
force, until the horrible fatalities at Mi
/ Ian have opened the eyes of the country
I TO the danger that threatens it within its
own boundaries The aristocracy ascribes
{ the cause of the riots TO socialists and
republicans who desire TO overthrow the
/ monarchy. but the true cause is in the
/ idIeness and starvation of the people. Ir
/ Milan much of the popular dissa Jisfactior
I has been attributed to the utteranccS ol
/ the republican newspapers and two of the
del PopoIo-have been sequestrated a,t5
+ the editors arrested. This is nothing I,nu.
/ sual, however, in Italy. II Will be remem'
bered that the late editor of the Popolo
+ Dario Papa was often arrested and finei
and his newspaper withheld from distri
button. Each time, however, he cam
forth from his Imprisonment and cor
tinued with renewed ardor to labor ant
speak for the people This however
I Is the first experience of the kind fol
! the present. editor, as he has held ths
position but q short time. When Ddri,
Papa died a little over year ago it be
came necessary for his wife to dispose o.
| the paper and return for d season TO hel
relatives III america A good offer Wa!
made her ard the bargain was about L
be consummated. when she learned tha
the politics Of the paper was to be chang
| ed and Mrs. Papa Immediately stoppc'
all further transactions with the agen
| and afterward disposed of the paper Il
a republican, society at d much less fiHan
cial advantage TO herself. Site haG live,
in Italy so long and become - thorough
ly imbued with the principles of her hus
band in regard to the Italian people tha
she could never consent to haze his pape
advocate principles so thoroughly aptag
onistic to him.