The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-07-04
The Work Of Italian Criminals.

the criminal records of this coun-
try by Italian criminals threatens
to result to the injury of Italians
as class. There are signs that
the prejudice against the Italian
citizen is increasing, not only in
the United States, but in Canada.
1t has reached such proportions
in the Dominion that Sir William
Mulock, a prominent Canadian,
has proposed to the italian resi-
dents Of Hamilton that they form
an anti weapon league" for the
purpose of discouraging the prac-
tice common among Italian labor
ers of carrying knives and other
deadly weapons. In a letter to
prominent Italian on this subject,
Sir William writes:
In some parts of Canada l
have been told many classes of
workmen decline to work along
with Italians, lest, on some
trifling occasion. when passion is
aroused, the latter may make un-
lawful use of the knife. If a
feeling like this takes possession
of the country it may frequently
prevent Italians obtaining employ
ment and thereby seriously
prejudice their interests"
If such a sentiment becomes
established in Canada it will in all
probability spread to the United
States, and in this do untold in.
| jury to the Italians themselves.
In some of the Southern States,
as is we'll known, strong opposi-
ton to Italian immigration has
already developed, in spite of the
statements of prominent planta-
ton owners that their Italian ten
ants and employees have proven
industrious and abiding citi-
zens. The cause Of this prejudice
is not to be found altogether in
the stories of Black Hand and
other crimes which are sent out of
the great cities, but in part to the
disorder of comparatively small
element of the Italian residents in
the rural communities as we'll.
Thus the Brookhaven miss. J
Leader, in the course of an article
protesting against the exercise of
what it terms unwise clemency to
an Italian convicted of a misde-
meanor in its own town, calls at
tention to the steady increase of
Italian population in Brookhaven
and to the equally noticeable
criminal tendency of many of
these people," It adds:
n The Leader by no means de-
sires or intends to indict the whole
Italian colony here as criminals
and undesirable citizens for
some of them have conducted
themselves as good, law abiding
people, against whom there has
never been any cause for CON-
plaint, SO far as we know; but the
proportion of tough customers
among them is undoubtedly on
the increase, and they are begin
ming to figure in our courts and
police circles more frequently in
proportion to their number than
any other class of our popula-
tion.
The feeling does not seem to be
confined to any particular section
of the country and it indicates
trend of popular sentiment that
mast cause serious concern to the
law abiding Italian citizen. Such
prejudice as has existed in the
past has been confined principally
to rural communities, whose resi-
dents had read of "Black Hand"
outrages and other crimes to
which the lawless elements of the
Italian immigrants are addicted.
and in the absence Of personal
knowledge or intelligent standards
classed the just with the unjust.
| the good with the evil. Now, it
appears, the prejudice is coming
to be based on a personal exper-
ience uf the degraded classes and
for that reason will prove much
harder to eradicate.
Such feeling is to be deploFed.
1t is illogical and manifestly un-
fair, but it must nevertheless be
reckoned with. Many excellent
and highly respected citizens of
New Orleans are of Italian birth
or parentage. The same is true
of every large American city. In
the smaller American communi-
ties thousands of industrious and
orderly Italians have found COR
dial welcome. That these should
be Disseminated against because
of the crimes of their debased
countrymen ought not to be pos
sible.
The remedy, we think, lies
largely with the better class Ital-
/ ians themselves. They must as
sist in the suppression of their
undesirable countrymen. Their
leaders have fortunately recogniz.
ed this, but the movement for
Igood order must be made general.
The organization of anti-crime
leagues among the Italians, the
vigilance committees formed to
cooperate with the police, can be
of great use not only in the sup
preston of crime, but in the COM
batting of this blind and regret
table prejudice. The orderly
Italians owe it to themselves to
make bold and aggressive fight
against their criminal countrymen,
land TO make their declaration for