Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-16
ITALY RIPE FOR REVOLT.
Her People Infiamed by Hunger-Mad-
ness and Military Oppression.

New York Sun.
Mrs Fidelia Papa widow Of Dario
Papa, one of the founders of the new
republican party in Italy, and owner
editor up to the time of his death of
L'Italia del Popolo, the paper recent
ly seized at Milan, gives this account
of the conditions that have led up to
the present disturbances in Italy:
sympathy with the starving was
undoubtedly the cause of what was in
tended to be peaceful demonstration
in Milan and ended in revolt. The
outbreaks in all parts of Italy are
caused by grievances of long standing.
Each year hundred thousand people
go mad from hunger in Italy This is
according to official statistics and does
not include the thousands in a half
demented state called la melancolia,
from lack of nourishment. There are
hundreds of thousands who never have
enough to eat, or live on mouldy corn
year in and year out, till soul and
body can barely stay together The
general suffering in Italy is so great
that nothing like it exists in any other
country.
The Hispano-American conflict may
have aggravated the conditions, for
the increase of centenimo, the fifth
of a cent, ON a pound Of corn meal IS
felt by the poor
There are 1866 cantons where the
use of meat is unknown. except in
moneyed families, and there are LOO
where food made of flour or grain is
rarely eaten except on holidays, or in
cases OF sickness. What do they eat?
Roots and acorns are largely used in
some parts of Italy.
The bread riot is merely this:
Starving women and children go to
the Town Hall asking for bread, sup
posing in their ignorance that the
municipal authorities are able to sup
ply it. They are met by the soldiers,
who fire upon them, killing some and
dispensing the others. This has occur
red frequently of late years. The
killing of helpless women and children
has always aroused the indignation Of
the Milanese, who are good, intelligent
people. They are the strongest of the
Italians, and Milan is the first COM
mercial city of Italy. So a protest
from Milan has weight Milan has
been republican at heart since the war
of independence
''The revolt undoubtedly begun in
this way: Peaceable citizens went un
armed to make a demonstration of
sympathy with the hungry or against
the government. The troops, as usual,
were ordered to charge upon them. l
have been present at these charges Of
the troops, and can testify that they
are always serious, especially when the
cavalry trample a crowd under foot.
Frightful disorders are caused by the
soldiers in this way, and last Saturday
the people resisted the troops AS in
1S49 when fighting for independence,
they, being unarmed, rushed to the
housetops and threw down the tiles.
THE wonder is that this has not hap
pened long ago. The government has
so great fear of revolution that large
political gatherings are usually dis
persed by the militia. This is in itself
enough to cause revolution among
men having the sentiments of per-
sonal dignity and love Of liberty. The
Milanese are peaceable people, but
the time came when they could bear
no more. In revolution Milan is said
to be slow to move, but she always
leads.
"All that is in opposition to the gov
eminent is called anarchy in Italy.
The charge Of anarchy is used as pre-
text for suppressing all opposing po-