The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-04-29

has been criticised. But the reason for
that is not dislike of or incapacity for
agricultural pursuits; it is partly social
instinct and partly dread of unsym-
pathetic surroundings. The movement
to encourage the cultivation Of the soil
by Italians is commendable, because
experience has shown that they excel
in this direction. Mr.. Lord shows how
easily they make what was once a
wilderness blossom as, the rose. As
growers of cotton, for example, they
are in many ways superior to the negro,
They can make five dollars where the
negro makes one dollar. From the
garden spot which the negro allows to
grow up in weeds" says a competent
witness, ''the italian will supply his
family from early spring until late fall,
and also market enough largely to
carry him through the winter"
Italians have been wonderfully success
full as farmers at Vineland, New Jersey,
and as small fruit growers at In
dependence, Louisiana. Wherever they
settle the results of their industry are
apparent. The colony at Asti In Cali
fornia,, founded by some cultivated
Italian gentlemen, has long been
famous for its wines. No one can say
that the Italian in the country fails to
be a good and useful citizen.
Nor can the italian in the cities be
considered menace. The congested
tenement districts favor deplorable
conditions. no doubt; but the in
,.,,.,4 .>,,n ,f +l,o +a,,a,,oio,,f house danart-
ment in New York say that the Ital-
ian settlement has assuredly increased
property values and bettered the aver
age moral character Of the districts
Even more significant are the williIe 3
ness and ability of the Italian to better
himself. He seldom becomes willing
denizen of the slums. In all our large
cities where they have settled Italians
have become prosperous business men,
mechanics and members of the learned
professions. Doubtless in the flood OF
migration we get many ignorant and
even debased Italians. But that is not
the general character of the new citi-
zens. Many come from the better
classes and speedily show their ability
to hold their own with the men of any
nation. In the matter of morality, too,
the standard Of the Italians is high.
They are temperate, as has been said,
and they shine In the domestic virtues.
It is idle to indict a wWhole people
who have so many engaging and en-
couraging characteristics.
The foundation of the current preju-
dice against the italians is probably
the conviction of Anglo-Saxon superior-
ity in which those of English descent
are too apt to indulge. Considering all
that Italy has done for the world this
is highly ludicrous. We need not go
back to the remote past for the record:
the countrymen of Cavour and Garibal-
di have just cause for pride. AS a mat
ter of fact the italian element is one
which this; nation greatly needs, While
it is helping to develop our material
Civilization by Its industry, it is also
contributing greatly to our artistic
sense. Like the Germans, the Italians
are proud Of their literature, their mu-
sic, their painting. They are a reading
people; they are fond of the theatre
and the opera, and their taste for the
best is far more highly cultivated than
ours. To treat immigrants Of this class
as danger to national prosperity is
absurd; and THE italian in American,
deserves careful attention from those
who wish to be guided by knowledge
rather than by prejudice Providenc
Journal. y Il