V. Pareto

Journal des Economistes, septembre 1893.

La situation de l'Italie.

Les semaines et les mois passent et les conditions du pays vont en empirant. On ne voit guère quels faits peuvent les modifier et les améliorer... Pourtant, tandis que parmi ie peuple apparaît un sentiment de consternation, il nous semble que les pouvoirs de TEtat vivent dans l'ignorance des faits, ou bien , ne voulant pas donner signe de crainte , ils affectent une assurance qu^ils n'ont pas en réalité. Il nous répugne de croire qu'ils soient dominés par un tel scepticisme qu'ils ne voient pas le danger et qu'ils ne tâchent pas de l'éviter... Désormais il n'y a plus qu'un sentiment dans le pays : la méflanca des hommes et des choses...

LEcononiista; Firenze, l» ottobre 1893.

Parliamentary Government in Italy.

But any attempt at organized opposition, not against this or that particular ministry but against the présent System of government, would be promptly and unsparingly crushed*.

* Maintenant, même avec l'état de siège et les Conseils de guerre ! 1898.

To wish for a part of the favors dispensée! by the state is deemed a legitimate ambition, which may be combated but cannot reasonably be punished; but to wish to arrest the flow of its favors aitogether, is considered an act of rébellion which deserves chastisement. In this mater even indifférence is culpable. There is no place in Italy for a citizen who, to préserve his independence, refuses to be a party to polilical patronage. He finds himself in about the same position as a Hindoo who bas no caste... The govern ment justifies ail this by saying that thèse people are generally factions. There is some truth in the statement. In countries where légal résistance is impossible, popular discontent tends to faction and ends in sédition ^ .

Of ail the numerous changes of ministry in Italy, none bas been due to a spontaneous expression of public opinion. A movement like that of the Cobden league in England for free trade, or like that which forced the Reform Bill through Parliament, is absolutely impossible in Italy 2. The government bas at its call friends powerful enough to crush any movement of this sort as soon as it seems to acquire any importance^...

Laws, of course, exist against électoral corruption, but they are never put in force. A justice of the peace and a public prosecutor in Venice, who were foolish enough to take the provisions of thèse laws seriously, were removed by di Rudini's ministry, and the suit was dropped. On this occasion the newspapers openly said that it was ridiculous to attempt to punish the buying of votes, which had become a gênerai and ordinary custom...