The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-08-26
WHITE SLAVERY FLOURISHES.
Children Bought in Greece
and Italy Sold Here.
Padre0ns pay From Fifty Cents
TO One Dollar a Week For
use of Imported Boys.

The government Is extending its
mighty hand to throttle uefarious
business which has been thriving for
some years past under the very noses
os the authorities 1t Is an old In
dustry, revived from time to time,
and may be described AZ n system for
utilizing the migration service for
the vital eus'avement of multitu.
des OF white children of foreign pa
rentage.
The scheme In question tas long
been known as the "psdrone system"
and In simple terms, consists OF an
arrangement by which great numbers
of little boys are purchased In Italy
and Greece. and imported into this
country to work as bootblaoks, ped
lers. newspaper vendors, beggars, or
what not, under the task masters,
who take from them all their earn
ings, giving them in return only a
wretched sui sistence, and often trt at
ing them cruelty. These children,
after their arrival In the LAND of the
free," are bought aud sold with just
about as much regard for their feel
inps or wishes as II they were dogs or
cats
The price OF small boy In south.
ern Italy or In Greece Is from s2s to
$50. Sometimes they may be obtain
ed for as little as $40. Children are
plentiful over there, and the poverty
stricken parents are not unwilling to
allow their young sons to go to Amer.
ica-a wonderful country, where. IS
they have heard, wages are phenome.
nally high and riches easily acquired.
Passage on the steamship will be paid.
and the cash received is so much
bonus
So the buyer collects consign-
ment of boys without much trouble.
He prefers that they shall be not more
than nine or ten years OF age, for
reasons which will presently appear.
The shipment OF them Is the only dit
fculty. because they cannot be sent
ia bunch. lest the suspicious OF our
migration authorities be aroused !
They have to be sent over by ones
and twos, accompanying adults. to
whom they usually claim relation
ship, and 1t is necessary to coach
them carefully in the answers they
are to give to questions which |
are sure to be asked when they reach .
Ellis Island. II they fail In giving
the proper replies they are liable to
to be sent back. aud the Spectator
loses the money that he has already
invested.
The importer of these human chat
tells sometimes does his own buying,
making visits once or twice a year to
Italy, or Greece. for that purpose.
But, however this part ofthe business
may be maraged, the system on this
side OF the water is always pretty
much the same. The "padrone" (mas-
teri, who owns the boys by right OF
purchase, either rents them out to
minor bosses. at so much head, or
else puts them to work on his own
account, at peddling, backing boots,
or whatever employment may offer
the best expectation OF profit. In
either case he pays them their wages
so cents or s. week-and pro-
vides them with their meals and
lodgings.
AS might be imagined, the beard
Sud Accommodations furnished to the
unfortunate little slaves are extreme
ly wretched. The food they get
barely suffices to keep body and soul
together, and commonly they are OBJ
liged to sleep on the floor, rs or so of
them In a room. 1t is not surprising
that their proprietors make money
rapidly. Many of the Italians banks
In New York, Chicago end other cities
are owned by men who were formerly
"padrons, and some of them are still
In the business.
II 1t be asked why the. boys do not
run away from their masters, the