New-York tribune., 1909-12-19

,-orrrieht Ia0e ey the Brentwood Company
Italy's new pilot, Baron Sidney Son.
rin0. is Jew by race. a Protestant by
faith ana . native OF Egypt. Born on
-re banks Of the Nile. OF an English
mother. ike Tittoni. he received the
greater part or his education in Great
Britain. and may be described as the
C;slaa o. modern Rome, the statesman
- whom II was said. "Omnium con-
ssnsu capax imperii. nisi imperasset.'
-hat Is 10 say. he has the knowledge and
the experience which qualify him to
vule and whil places him intellectually
head and shoulders above - the other
public men in Italy to-day. yet lacks the
c.ft Ct ruling and managing men. Worse
stiu in . land where ali are elcquently
,-eluble or eIoquenuy silent. he IS an
orator without the girt or oratory. He
either reads his speeches, or when he is
driven 10 extenporaneous utterance, his
delivery is so labored and halting that
Re has been nicknsmed by his country
men The "Tnglese.- that is 10 say, Eng
uEhz,zn: and he is entirely deficient in
thst u,oSt necessary of ali equipments
fer . polit!cial, namely, the gift of
Tepartse-
Il profound study Of political institu-
t.ons and general culture were the main
requisites Of political success, sonninO
svhoss pate-nal grandfather migrated
from TIRE ghetto az Leghorn to Egypt,
vhere be built I'D an enormous fortune
as q banker). would be Prime Minister
fer life. But OF the only previous occa-
siol whsn 20 held the premiership his
Tenure c. Office lasted barely three
-cnths and Il his present administra-
ton endures for a longer period (every
cne Is predicting its early downfaI) il
E..l doubtless be owing TO the fact that
threatened cabinsts, Ike threatened men,
E-e long The trouble about Sonnino is
th.t his honesty and loftiness Of princi-
-ie are 50 great that he will never con-
sent 10 sJOop 10 any of those dubious
compromises by which votes are won or
retained and By means of which local
ViTspGllsrs are placated. II he shines at
oae thing more than another il is in
soor oHic matters, and il is 10 hina, as
Minister - Finance under Tire premier
ship O. Crispi, that Italy is indebted for
stead q the yearly deficit by which she
was formerly confronted. In fact. if he
hs6 achieved nothing else than the res
Io-ation Of Italy's financial equilibrium
e. Z moment when national ruin and
Insolvency stared her in the face he
would be entitled TO the lasting gratitude
of his countFyInen and To . niche in the
Tslple CT Fame.
HAS LEsSENED EMIGRATION.
BY equalizing taxation, by Tightening
tie ascaI burdens upon the poor and
Spreading them among the rich. by aboi-
ishing inposts that were oppressive and
vexatious and increasing duties that
were less provocative Of irritation he
Las done more than any living Italian TO
arrest the steady and exhausting row Of
emigration 70 the New Wo-id, and Go
rot believe that there is one Of his cOun-
trylaen who 50 thoroughly understands
Southern Italy, Of which he has made a
profound study, and who more thor
oughIy appreciates the impracticability
q applying 70 the South the laws Of the
North. and vice versa. Any improve
inert n Dle 4oL o. southern itaiy, IoE-
merry the least favored portion OF the
Kingdom. Is wholly due 10 Sonninos in
teIigent championship and lucid exposi-
ton q the cause OF its people.
This, then, is the statesman. some
sixty-two years old, TO whom King
Victor Emmanuel, somewhat reluctantly,
Las ccRhded the helm Of the Italian ship
q stste-for he has never liked sonninO
in the hope that his administration
nay serve as q bulwark against the
aut--clerical policy which the Socialists,
t1e lltFa-RsdicaIs and the Republicans
ere determined 10 inaugurate. They
deeply resent the growth Of friendliness
between Church ard state. denounce in
TIE blrlcrest fashion every concession