THE CROSSING OF THE RACES 489 



Whereas Italy was once a conglomeration of petty states and abso- 

 lute monarchies, torn by warring factors, and her people steeped in 

 universal illiteracy, she now, through her own efforts, under the intelli- 

 gent leadership of children of her own soil, has become a constitutional 

 monarchy with the real power legally invested in the people where it by 

 right belongs. Through his prime minister, the king is responnsible to 

 the chamber of deputies, which corresponds to our lower house, and are 

 elected by the people at large. 



The senate is probably as truly representative as our own, being 

 elected by the king from the ranks of the ex-deputies, the nobility, large 

 taxpayers and representative men of affairs. 



When we consider that for fifty years preceding her final unification 

 and freedom Italy was in an almost constant turmoil of political agita- 

 tion and war, it is remarkable what advances her people have made in 

 the thirty-nine years since the accomplishment of her great ambition. 

 Although she still ranks high among the illiterate, she has taken great 

 strides to overcome that evil. An education law compelling the attend- 

 ance at school between the ages of six and nine, and the teaching of 

 illiterate soldiers, although they may not as yet have accomplished great 

 things, show that her heart is right, and that time will fast remedy the 

 evils which the exigencies of her struggle for existence have practically 

 forced upon her. 



The study of the Italian in the Argentine ought to give us an ink- 

 ling of his possibilities when given an opportunity. This republic is 

 modeled on lines almost exactly after our own, and, all things con- 

 sidered, should rank as a successful experiment in self government. Its 

 people are happy. It enjoys a high degree of culture. Its cities are 

 modern and well governed, and its commerce is ever increasing in 

 dignity and volume. Now, relative to its whole population, Argentine 

 has the largest number of Italian immigrants of any country in the 

 world. In 1895 the total population was about 4,000,000, and one 

 third of this was foreign born. Of this foreign born population 500,000 

 were Italians. This enormous Italian influence still holds its own, for 

 since 1895 it has kept up almost constantly, and for the whole period of 

 time elapsed since she became a republic in 1853 nearly half her foreign 

 born population has been contributed by Italy. 



We should not allow the evil deeds of certain bands of outlaws, and 

 the criminal tendencies of certain of the lower classes to blind our 

 vision to the great things accomplished by the Italian as a nation. 

 Viewed in the light of her past history and her rapid advances of the 

 present day, she promises well, and it is a fair prophecy that in our 

 own country the future citizen of Italian forebears will only be distin- 

 guished from the general average by means of his family name remain- 

 ing as a sign to indicate his original ancestry. 



The possibilities of the Slav, and his aptitude for conformity to the 



