The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-04
ITALIANS IN LOUISIANA.
ANOMALOUS CONDITIONS THAT LED
TO THE 7ALLULIH LTNCHING.


Negroes Present Italian Immigration
New ORLEANS. Aug 1.-The lynching OF thu
FIVE Italians at Tallulah. Ia and the orderini
away Of the other Italians in Madison parish
may temporarily check the Italian immigra
tion into north Louisiana and thereby inter
rupt movement which Ia having an extraor
binary influence on Louisiana and prom
Uses to hasten IL solution OF the color or race
question. The interruption. tho ugh, is likely
TO he only temporary.
The Italians seem to be the only race that
can labor successfully and compete with the
negro in the semi.tropital climate Of Louisi.
ana. They have been arriving for the last
twenty years nj the rate OF many thousands
each year. and the census soon to he taken
will show that largely because OF this imml-
grafton districts and parishes which formerly
had large majority OF negroes are now white.
Among these are Plauueminc. ASSUMPTION.
Te.rebonne. Iberia and st. John. The italian
immigration has naturally becn largest in
southern Louisiana in the territory around
New Orleans. where there il already "A large
Latin population Thence II has spread into
the northern parishes where II has met with
q far from hearty welcome: but the Italians
seem to have the PATIENCE ard perseverance %
the Chinese. enduring persecution and over
soming prejudice by mere persistence.
No better evidence could he presented OF
this triumph over bitter prejudice than isfound
right here in New Orleans. The Parish. Prison
lyuchinu OF eight years ago was blow from
which many thought the italian COLONY OF
New Orleans would nsver recover. Per-
hans G.OOO or 5000 Italians left New Or
leans then. seeing no hope or future
for themselves here. and settled In Memphis
st. Louis Chicago and at other points. But
the Italians have lived down the llennessy as.
sassnation and the dscredt OF the Malta
and have more than regained their former
position. The Italian colony Of New Or
leans has doubled in numbers since the
Parish Prison lvnchinG affair. and In wealth
and standing has advanced far more. 1t has
taken the first place among the foreign popula.
tion Of New Orleans. Thers are now two daily
Italian papers in New Orleans. and Signor
Enrico Cavalli. tho editor of one of them. the
inio- .im,7iCdno. is the representative ap
pointed by the Italian Government to inves-
tigate the Talluah lynchinG. Schools have
been established, at which the Italians are
taught not only English but their mother
tongue. and King liumbert through the ltal-
ianIC onsul.has contributed literally to the sup
port Of these schools. which keep alive love
for Italy in the hearts OF its SONS.
The status OF this Italians has been very
much improved OF late. They dropped the
hand organ long ago. and they never took to
harberin=. shoe cleaning or street work. as
ia New York. From cobbling they have
branched out into the manufacture Of shoes
and they control some of the largest factories in
the South. The fruit. vegetable and fish trades
they have absolutely controlled since they first
They are RAPIDLY crowdng into the corner
grocery business. formerly monopolized by
lrishmeu and Germans and into nearly all
lines. even tho learned professions Lattery
they have been quite conspicuous in POLITICS.
It's. however in the country districts that
from Naples or Sicily, ,TheT are peasants. ac e
here to work on the sugar plantations They
come from limited areas even in Sicily and
NapIes The little town q Contcssa Entellina
cam a" the S ynths H Mad s9 p @nsR
and daughters in Louisiana: The immigrants
are with rare executions hardy. ROBUST race.
The Immigration Commissioner at this port
declares that the character OF the Italians
arriving is steadily improving. They find
the summer. work through tho grinding sea-
son. when wages are high. and return to Italy
practice is dying out and majority of the
immiErants, y, cone 70 stay. learn English. or
Da npp or as soon as they can
few ADOPT, English names like Brown. smith
or Jones, In order to be thorough Americans.
week OF their arrival and pick up cheap int
tation OF American dress.
satisfaction to the planters, ubeine:nlinlteiy
to hs.r The
aR all T TH@S are Rse Ts .s G fS
negro Cannot They do NOT drisl snd cause sas
same cabins as ne negroes and 10 work with
nj fhny
work hard ana faithfully. They have. ct there ere
fore. given satisfaction and are rapidly crowd
In ali the districts immediatsly around New
Orleens., where the negro furnished nine
s sls o. sss tosay G sS Italians
n.s sh: at n ss "a e..
sSoys: feIEeRonns; Lsioarsche: ibsrls and st.
thanks 70 the Immigration OF the Italians and
f. s: ns 6s
:uD,.enssyt" b ~, who srs looked down On with
q &c italian I. very
9hs SRe s' hcF e., &:
;s SIZES 7: aSsr ~ ssd,.s
darker than the critics and ouadroons,
the negro half breeds OF southern Louisiana
but they arc undou btedly white. On the other
hand. they are willing to live In the same quar-
tiers with the negroes and to work side by eide
with them. and seem wholly destitute OF that
anti-nsgro prejudice which is one OF the dis
tlnguishne features OF all the white races In
the South. 1t cannot be said that this attitude
gratitude. He looks upon the Italian with
pretty much the same feeling as he enter
tatned OF old toward the Door white trash lie
has ho respect for the Italian and refuses TO
treat him with the res pect and Difference shown
10 other white men. He will not take off his
hat toshm or call him Mister" a.word which il
never applied under any circumstances to the
negro in the South, even when Colonel and
Judge are used and which tho negro always
uses OF the whites.
1t Is the same with the whites. The average
man Will classify the population as whites.
OF the lynching Of Italians in Louisiana. Not
Az per cent. but 100 per cent. of tho white
men lynched sthis state have been Italians
There have been wholesale Italian ynchinps
In New Orleans. st. Charles. st. John and Mad.
ison The unwritten law OF the South ia thar a
white man shall not he lYnched. No matter
what hiScIlm he lsentitled to trial by law and
2 legal eAecuti ]n.--rhe only exception is the
ltallah, who IN this respect has been played
on terms ~ equality with the negro Ii the
ltallan kllls white man, that is, a non ltnl-
Ian, he is likely 10 be lynched for it,
This rule has prevailed in all parts of tho
= ns ba mi IA,