The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-29
Some VieQuSss ~
~ " and RevteuS.


origin. organization and scope we have
! so little accurate and authentic Information
and knowledge as the Malta. II Is likewise
| true that there Is no section which has had
occasion to feei moio concern on this sub
! ject than our own. In view OF this. the
/ recent statements OF Signor Cutrera, chief
| Of the Palermo police, regarding the Mana,
| from Its inception TO the present time. will
| be Of especial interest. The London Times,
referring to this official aud his work,
| saws that as representative Of law and
order he has for many years made war
upon the MafosI and that his testimony
I is perhaps the most lucid and truthful
| that has ever been given. Naturally, no
one could write SO intelligcntly OF the oh
scurc and far.reachlng influences which
have operated to produce existing results
as he who is native and to the manner
boru mud II Is thus, as well as his long
! official service, which gives slgnor Cut
rcras evidence such weight.
~
The history Of his turbulent and I'm
| placahle countrymen Is the history Of
Romes great rival Carthage, which, at the
height Of her power possessed Northern
Africa and SPAIN as well rs Corsica, Sar-
diuia and Sicily. Palermo the largest city
|
snid, founded Ivy the Phenecians more
than 200 years before Christ. and was one
Of the Carthagenian stronGhods, until 1t
fell In the fortunes Of war TO the con-
quering lcglons ~ Rome Later the Van.
dals and Goths possessed themselves Of It
and the Saracens as we'll Then followed
the Normans and the Germans, the houses
OF Auiou and Aragon, the Bourbon dynasty
and the Italians under the victorious Carl
baldi
IT may he said In passing, that this long
record is one Of continued mlsrue and OPP
preston, and Il Is no wonder that under
such conditions the people have remained
rosttve and defiant Of all governmental
control. or that Signor Cutrcra 6nds in the
inherent characteristics ot the Slcllian the
root of all the evil. lie Is Intensely proud
| and brave, rs well as socrctivC and vicious.
and his hatred of authority is inerodicahc.
When such qualities have been fostcrcd
under centuries of foreign rule the result
is not surprising; indeed. the Malta arose
under the Bourbon regime as secret
means Of protection against the cxtortions
and exactlons of the Infamous police OF
that government.
The Maaosi have been confused with
hi'bHuuS' S"VlullN'0 u'u ''"u"n'"H0' """
are generally regarded MS regularly or
gonizcd secret society. yet they arc none
OF these things. SIrnor Cutrcra's dcsig
nation Of them ms being Tin a state of so.
cal immortality" tx most ant
There is n universal feeling that the
government should never he permitted to
Interfere in the private AFFAIRS Of Slcil-
ian, and that no one is ever Justified In
giving information To the police. So strong
Is this feeling that the word ''omcrtn" is
used TO EXPRESS IT, a word which may he
interprcted to mean that silence Is % ylr-
tue to he honorcd II personal injury
Is Indicted the individual aggrcycd mnst
settle the account MS becomes a man of
honor m appeal to the law being derora.
tory aud unworthy Of such; the Slclian
.corrdrcl npd , coward This feeling 1,
, ,,plvers,I and cxtends far heyond The rnnks
NJ tbe Mnaosl tbe victims ns well MS tn,
oyowitnnsscs Of a murder considering II
disgraccful 10 testify. A man who ha,
I, boen shot was asked by some passing gen
darncs regarding the identity of his az
soilnnt. and with his last breath repliet
"Iesu Christie " tboupb well aware of hi,
slayer Even the popular songs Of the
island opoted nv the author. celebrate this
|
-
As regards the aims Of the MAZDA al
though II has In the past taken part In
politics these are not political When
Garlmidi occupied the island the Mahosi
rallied ia his aid and were rewarded with
Offices, tmoluments and pensions, but II
soon BECAME apparent that lhcir only object
was to climb into power over the heads Of
the rest Of the community, and govern
mental favor was withdrawn Within the
last thirty years the association has great
ly increased In numbers and power, and
though the government has managed In
Z that period 70 institute some reforms, II
has tried yaInly to deprive II Of It's power
and Influence, especially during the cleo
lions
{
very peculiar organization Of the society
= Itself: II has no center, no laws. nor any
, officers except the chief in each district
Those do not depend In any way upon one
/, another. although a Manosl Is sure to re
cclve aid and succor Mt the hands Of his
fellows. and the chief Of the Palermo con
: tingcnt holds somewhat higher rank than
. rn,a.rJ. tbo nor