Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-17
TWELVE PAGES
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY II. 1860.
OUR MALTA.

There are some differences, no doubt
between the Sicilian Malta of Italy and
the combination of money and power,
politics and business, which misgoverns
this country by fraud and force, bril-
berry and corruption, terror and ntimi-
dation, which is none the less bnleful
and vicious because it avoids the open
violence which would be sure to be me!
by violence Insidious arts and in
tluences often overcome. disaim and
rob man, where an open attack would
be repelled and defeated; and If in
Sicily the Malta reaches It's ends by
overt acts. or bloody assassination,
methods of coercing and alarming
men. they are essentially the same
identical in spirit with the Thuggee of
India whose adopts were strangers so
secret in .heir operations that they
often lived long unsupported. aud were
always difficult to detect ana convict.
The recent trial at Milan, Italy, OF
Palizzo.o. Il Deputy. for the murder of
Signor Notarbartolo, who had exposed
his corrupt proceedings as Il director
OF the Bank OF Sicily, has brought the
Malta into prominent notice, especially
us Cr.sD and Rudinl, prime ministers
OF Italy, and other high officials, are
known 10 have been under Malta in
fluence. both as To bank matters and
the murder growing out OF them.
Speaking of the recent rise to power of
this combine. the Baltimore Sun says:
Gradually the Malta absorbed more
and more power, until at length it be-
came unsafe for the Slcilians to assert
Establishing and lis duminni inn
though their entire social life was ruled
by 1t. Its chiefs were known, how
ever. 10 be for the most part men OF
good position, who knew how to turn
their power to their own pecuniury
profit and how to secure the allegiance
of their subordinates by sharing the
spoil with them and by assuring them
protection after acts or plumber and
violence. In the sphere of politics the
Malta was not unlike one OF the rings
or INSCRIPTIONS politicians that ut
times infest American cities. our boss
an his capacity OF manager, chief bcnc-
ticiary and protector of acts of corrup-
,tion and violence on the part of his
machine being the analogue of the
head of the Italian murder cOnbine."
Great mobiles. landed proprietors,
politicians. municipal officials. bank
directors and other men Of prominence
lind their profit IN its power, using
desperadoes of n low order to execute
their designs and securing immunity
by getting their members appointed TO
1he police. public Office and even the
magistracy itself.
THUS all local opposition to the
Malta is paralyzcd. The authority OF
the State is nullifed. SO far as it pre-
sumes to go counter to the interest Of
the leaders OF the Malta. It's tyranny
cHcites no complaint, because tile vic
tim does not know whether he may not
be telling his story to a policeman or
Judge who is n member of the organiza-
tion and who will inform him, with
the certain result of q violent death
or the ruin of his property. An oryani.
cation so strong as the Malta cannot. of
course. be deprived OF the spoj,s of
office. but obtains for its members tbc
highest posts. Palizzolo for examine
mas Tor many years represented PA
lermo In the italian Chamber OF Depu
ties. and was n valued supporter OF tho
ministers of the day, though known To
be member OF the Malta and for n
long time suspected Of having ordered
the murder of Signor Notarbartolo."
The operations of this italian Malta.
even IN this country, at New Orleans
and elsewhere, has shown how un-
ecrupulous power may ntimidato
courts and jur!cs and strike whole
communities with terror, as in Sicily;
and our political Republican Malta,
though 1t may not yet have gone to the
lengths OF its italian prototype. be-