Evening journal., 1909-09-24

You may deem this strange charge, but
50 that there can be no misunderstanding
l will 90 over the grounds uaversed by
myself and friend years ago.
Previous to the discovery Of America
Pellagra was not known even in southern
Italy, the region from which the wise doc
tors of to-day say it comes, and the peo-
pie were at least free from that one mall I
ady. But the discovery of America brought
Maze to Europe in general and southern
ltaiy in particular.
Corn nourished everywhere. Any place
where a grain was stuck into the ground
the people garnered large returns for their
labor. and the owners Of the soi.-the
landlords of Italy-were not long in get
ting wise. They saw the easy life the peas
ants were living, by reason of the rich
returns from old mother earth, and de-
cided that the land was worth more on
account of its apparently increased util-
ity and raised the rent.
Year by year the peasants toiled, each
year tilling a greater amount Of land in
their endeavor to appease the insatiate
greed of the landlord, only to realize in
the end the harder they toiled the less
they had, and a reaction set in. So far
reaching did the idleness Of the people be-
come that one historian cried: Italy will
starve If the people do not work." but
the landlord smiled knowingly. And, alas,
the people did work but upon the poorest
land, in order to avoid high rent as
though they could escape high rent that
way-sullenly tilling the rocky hillsides,
aye, the very mountain Businesses, feed
ing themselves and Their children on roots
and berries at times, inferior food and in
insufficient quantities.
1t was then that the dread Pellsgra
broke out; But the people did not know IT,.
Moreover they were fooled by the medi-
cal fraternity of that day. A child won d
| fali sick, and die. What was the cause Of
deathg some inquiring friend would ask,
but a meaningless shrug of the shoulders
and the expression: "Pellagraw was the
only answer. They did not know, and their
physicians did not tell them. But perhaps
they d.d not know either. And whether il
was a young person, middle aged or old,
the answer was the same: "PeLagrav
My experience with Italians in this
country covering the last fourteen years,
| in particular. has taught me to know that
the Italian stomach is the vital spot. Any
man who knows anything Of wofamen
! here. knows that when an Italian goes
home from his work sick If the ques-
tlon is put as to the ailment. the ever
present answer comes, "sck in the bel
Pellagra may be diagnosed in a mllion
ways, but Peuagra is Stomach Consump-
ton, pure and simpe.
And what Of America, now that tho
dread malady has made its appearance
here. Landlordism is the cause here as IN
1taly-Oh, you landlordAyou who bring
upon mankind all the ills from which thes
suffer. Pellagra, the dread pe,lagra, wa:
first recognized in the Southern States
and SO 1t should be, and no wonder. Here
Is the proof.
Previous to the Civil War the aves 9TH,
only worlSmen in the South, we may say)
were fat and sasy as the minstre always
was necessary from the owners point o
view. for. naturally, he did not wish tc
see his property CO deteriorate in value
And they did not only have what the mas
Ter gave them, but what they took as well
.'rostin' ears" chicken, ETC., etc, and the,
were IA, and sassy, as the minstrels always
depicted them.
But after the war; what a change. The
freeman demanded work. The boss, wh'
was previously master, had none TO give
except on certain conditions, and the con
ditions were hard. But the freeman (Sav'
the mark. must not die. He must accep
the conditions at any cost, for the bos
owned an the land. And a bare pittance-
sometimes ten cents per day ana ration
were doled out l have toiled In the t.mpe
lands OF Georgia and North Carolin'
fielding the ak and pulling the cross-cu
saw along side Of the Coon, getting on
ton-timber. cord wood, fence rails an'
cross ties. accepting my ratlons as the!
did-a half peck Of corn meal-not AWAY
the best-a pound Of fat pork and quar-
OF molasses, generally black stIap-to las
"a week. Indeed 1 have seen many do
nestle cat 20 into the pot, cooked AM
eaten as a delicacy. Here is the evil Oh
w. landlord. The standard OF living ha
heer lowered to such an extent that Pei
lagra appeared. But that was in tn
south. Yes. but let us go to that grea
Commonwealth, the state of Illinois
where Pelagra is now nonplussing Tn
managers OF the hospital where the an
ments of many patients have been as
nosed as Penagra. There the great whea
fields with the waving, golden grains hav
attracted the knights Of the road CIh
American tramp, another product OF land
lordismD to the harvest so that the crop
might be garnered- have worked ther
too. following up the "thrasher iro1
one wheat field to another. eating almos
any old thing and sleeping Alongside tn
wheat stack in order to make stake
and IL was not only the transient popu
lation Of Illinois that suffered The sma
farmer there-just like here in NewICas
: lie county-sens his grain for whateVe
he can get for IL, notwithstand ns IN
seemingly high price Of wheat only I
purchase inferior grades Of -four for III
consumption Of his family. But condition
are Infinitely worse in the large center
OF population. There. in the large t'te'
. where mankind is herded like eatue' IN