he custom of the country. If there was any doubt about it, the
proof was furnished when Pietro was arrested through the envy and
plotting of the opposition boss. Distinguished counsel, employed by the
machine, pleaded his case in court. Pietro felt himself to be quite a
personage, and he was told that he was safe from harm, though a good
deal of dust might be kicked up; because, when it came down to that,
both the bosses were doing the same kind of business. I quote from the
report of the State Superintendent of Elections of January, 1899: "In
nearly every case of illegal registration, the defendant was represented
by eminent counsel who were identified with the Democratic organization,
among them being three assistants to the corporation counsel. My
deputies arrested Rosario Calecione and Giuseppe Marrone, both of whom
appeared to vote at the fifth election district of the Sixth Assembly
District; Marrone being the Democratic captain of the district, and, it
was charged, himself engaged in the business of securing fraudulent
naturalization papers. In both of these cases Farriello had procured the
naturalization papers for the men for a consideration. They were
subsequently indicted. Marrone and Calecione were bailed by the
Democratic leader of the Sixth Assembly District."

The business, says the state superintendent, is carried on "to an
enormous extent." It appears, then, that Pietro has already "got on to"
the American plan as the slum presented it to him, and has in good
earnest become a problem. I guessed as much from the statement of a
Tammany politician to me, a year ago, that every Italian voter in his
district got his "old two" on election day. He ought to know, for he
held the purse. Suppose, now, we speak our minds as frankly, for once,
and put the blame where it belongs. Will it be on Pietro? And upon this
showing, who ought to be excluded, when it comes to that?

The slum census taker did not cross the Bowery. Had he done so, he would
have come upon the refugee Jew, the other economic marplot of whom
complaint is made with reason. If his Nemesis has overtaken him in the
Italian, certainly he challenged that fate. He did cut wages by his
coming. He was starving, and he came in shoals. In eighteen years more
than half a million Jewish immigrants have landed in New York.[28] They
had to have work and food, and they got both as they could. In the
strife they developed qualities that were anything but pleasing.