Bisbee daily review., 1913-10-25
Italy Is On EUe Of Election With All
 The Right to Vote
Europe Awaits with Interest
 Results of Law Providing Almost Universal Suffrage

ROME. Oct. 24.-ltaly is on the eve
 of a general election the result of
 which will be awaited by all other European nations With considerable interest. It means the putting to the test of the new election law passed in
 Parliament at the last session and
 greatly extending the right of suf- frage. The new law, under which the
 parliamentary election on Sunday will be held. practically grants universal suffrage. Under that law all male cit izens. regardless of educational or property qualifications are entitled to
 vote under certain restrictions. These restrictions apply to those who are un- able to read and write. While all male citizens who can read and write are entitled to vote if they have
 reached the age of twenty-one years, 1 those who are not able to read and write are allowed to vote only if they | have served in the army or navy Of Italy or have reached the age of thirty. The granting of suffrage to practi- cally all classes of the population, eX- cepting to persons convicted Of crime, will cause a tremendous increase in the
 number of votes. At the last parlia-
 mentary election only S.247,722 per | sons in Italy were entitled to vote | while S,635,146 will be entitled to cast | their vote at the general election on Sunday next. it is a matter for coll ! siderable speculation as to what effec5 | the great influx ot new and illiterate
 voters will have upon the government of the country. The Franchise sis | tence, was opposed by many upon the | ground that it would play into the hands of the church which has pow. | erful influence over the illlterat9 | voters.
 But all this was undoubtedly fully ! realized by Premier Giolitti and the 1 government which is by no means pro ] clerical and it may be taken that Clio
 litti is too clever and astute states man to advocate a law if he did not l feel confident that it would in 10 way endanger the position of the govern
 ment. Whatever may be the ultimate effect of the new franchise law, if
 is not likely that this big army of il- l Iiterates enfranchised by it, will use ] it's power at the first opportunity to defeat the government which 1 grach granted it the power to vote.
 If the granting of practically uni 1 Yersal suffrage involves any immedi- i ate danger to the government, that 1 danger is not so much from tue ! church as from the socialists and Oth- i CT radical parties. After the fall of
 the temporal power Of the Vatican, 1 the Pope issued an order fOTbidding
 Catholics throughout Italy to partic-
 ipate in political elections. At the last { general election the present pontifi for ] the first time waived the prohibition l to certain constituencies. where Cath
 old candidates opposed anti-Clerica,- ! socialists. Recently there was rum i or in circulation that U the Coming 1 election the prohibition would be waived also in the constituencies of
 Rome, but the Vatican organ the Ob- ! servatore Romano. published an em- i phatic statement mat the Catholics of Rome would not go to the polls No l reference was made to the probable
 action of Catholics in other parts Of
 Italy.
 The Socialists and the Democrats.
 who are divided into several more or ] less radical factions, have conducted
 a vigorous camnsig2 throughout Italy.
 with the evident intention of gaining
 the support of as n:any of the newly 1 enfranChised voters as possible. The |. Government fully realized the neces- sity of contradicting the spread or
 the radical propaganda and made strong appeals to the voters. There
 is a strong suspicion that the Gov ernment party did not in all eases linn
 it itself Co mere arguments or per.
 suasiOn and there were numerous
 complaints that EIen, openly suppor--
 ing the Government or actually in the
 service of the Government, were try
 ing to corrupt or coerce voters in fav-
 or of the Government candidates.
 Thereupon representatives of the var
 iOus democratic parties and factiOns
 and including those of the Socialist
 Reform party, met and formulated a
 protest to Premier GiolItti, calling his
 attention to the facts as presented by
 the dcm0cratic committee and in-
 structing them to make every effort to
 insure liberty to the voters of all
 parties. This has produced a favor-
 able impression and 1t is generally
 believed by those thoroughly ac-
 quainted with the existing conditions
 that the Government. standing upon ! its excellent record and aided by the ] members of his Cabinet, will be vic
 torious at the election on Sunday.