WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE "DAGO"? 177 



them with miasmatic diseases. But, all the same, we must event- 

 ually find some principle, somewhere, by the practice of which, 

 while meting out to the wrong-doer the penalty he has earned, we 

 shall protect the revenues as well as the peace and the safety of 

 the community. 



All this is familiar reasoning enough. But the prohlem seems 

 to increase to formidable dimensions just now with the new class 

 of which we have spoken. What shall we do with the " dago " ? 

 This " dago," it seems, not only herds, but fights. The knife with 

 which he cuts his bread he also uses to lop off another " dago's " 

 finger or ear, or to slash another's cheek. He quarrels over his 

 meals ; and his game, whatever it is, which he plays with pennies 

 after his meal is over, is carried on knife at hand. More even 

 than this, he sleeps in herds ; and if a " dago " in his sleep rolls 

 up against another " dago," the two whip out their knives and 

 settle it there and then ; and, except a grunt at being disturbed, 

 perhaps, no notice is taken by the twenty or fifty other " dagoes '' 

 in the apartment. He is quite as familiar with the sight of hu- 

 man blood as Avith the sight of the food he eats. His women 

 follow him like dogs, expect no better treatment than dogs, and 

 would not have the slightest idea how to conduct themselves 

 without a succession of blows and kicks. Blows and kicks, in- 

 deed, are too common an experience with them for notice among 

 " dagoes." When a woman is seriously hurt, she simply keeps 

 out of sight somewhere till she is well enough for the kicking 

 and striking to begin over again, and no notice whatever is taken 

 of her absence meanwhile. The disappearance is perfectly well 

 understood, and no questions are asked. The male " dago," when 

 sober, instinctively retreats before his employer or boss, or any 

 other man, and has no idea of assaulting him, or indeed of ad- 

 dressing him, or having any relations with him except to draw 

 his pay. But, when infuriated with liquor, he will upon any 

 fancied occasion use the only argument which he possesses his 

 knife. I say the only argument, for it is inevitable experience 

 that he will not talk ; however little or however much he may 

 understand of what is said to him, he will pretend not to under- 

 stand. He has a pretty clear idea of how much money is com- 

 ing to him, and manages to convey that information to his pay- 

 master. But it is rather dangerous for the paymaster to give 

 him much less than the amount which, in his idea, is coming to 

 him. He will refuse to accept it, withdraw, jabber and gesticu- 

 late, and it will be well for that paymaster to be on his guard 

 until something representing that month's wages is accepted. 



Now, when (as happens constantly in the course of the grad- 

 ing of a railroad by great swarms of these "dagoes") three- or 

 four hundred or less of these human beings are quartered for a 



TOL. XXXVIII. 12 



