Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1894 — WORSE THAN COOLIES. [ARTICLE]

WORSE THAN COOLIES.

Frightful Condition of the Peasants of the Island of Sicily. The condition of the peasants of Sicily, who recently rose against their oppressors and well nigh precipitated a general revolt against the Italian government, is perhaps more wretched than that of any other civilized people in the world. For ages the poorer classes have been the prey of the richer and have been burdened by the most exorbitant taxation, while the rich have generally escaped without any taxation at all. Corruption is rife in every office in the island and justice is a mere mockery, simply depending on who can give the largest bribe. The land is owned by a few noblemen who live in Rome or Palermo and who lease their estates to capitalists known as “gabellotti," or tax extorters. These in their turn divide the estates and sublet them to “subgabellotti,” who again lease the subdivided land piecemeal to the peasants, or, if you wish, farmers. These latter are most shamefully bled. They are permitted to retain but one-quarter of their crops, no matter how poor the yield may be. In addition to this they are compelled to nay on enormous tax and provide themselves with seed and the necessities of life. Reduced to the most abject poverty, the estate-owner “padrone” sometimes lends them money at 53per cent, a year. The day laborer's lot is even worse, if such a thing is possible. The lowest Chinese cooly lives in luxury compared with the Sicilian day laborer. The result of this is that agriculture, which is the chief support of Sicily, has become totally ruined. The petty farmers and peasantry are held in complete slavery by the capitalists and landowners.