those great men had been able to foresee that a cruel Fate was imposing on you once more the ascension of a Golgotha, by fratricidal command! We have not the right to insist further on details, which nevertheless torment our mind and heart, like n hair-shirt with innumerable sharp - points; every people has its cares. and we are not unaware •of the bur~ dens and responsibilities whirh lie heavy upon you, Sir; and yet, if for one fleeting moment the human solidarity which no~vadays is imposed on one and all, not only as a duty of ' Assassinated on June 10th, 1924 Giacomo Matteotti, the great Italian Socialist, has become one of the martyrs of Freedom. ;His name and work is honored by liberty-lovers the world over. On Sunday, June 10th, 1928, in tl1e Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne, a public meeting took place, promoted by the Matteotti Club, and addressed in both Italian and English. Mr. Don Cameron was chairman. He read a sympathetic apology for unavoidable absence from Dr. W. M;aloney, M.P. Mr. W. A. Watt, M.P., wrote explaining his viewpoint, which was that such meetings should be left to the Italians, as they knew the facts. The actual speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Lyttleton Groom, too, was invited. The chairman said that they that Jay commemorated the memory of a great Socialist" martyr, whose name ..._. and achievements would long be remembered. An Italian comrade, Bertazzin, addressed the audience in tribute to tlie work of Giacomo ll'.latteottr. He was loudly applauded, and spoke with considerable eloquence. Mr. W. J. Duggan (President of the A.L.P. and I A.C.T.U.) said that he represented the Australian Labor Party in indicating the party's sympathy with the protest against despotism. There was no darker tragedy in Italy's history than the Biblioteca Gino 81arco 7 sensitive souls but as a matter of universal interest, impels you to come 1own and look upon our grief, not disdaining our modest garb, which is in such a contingency nothing else than a sign by which OU!' political and moral integrity may be recognised: you will find strong and upright sotils; so that, warmed by the very breath of their faith, from the height of you,. Ministerial seat, with the wide resonance of your voice and authority, you also may be able to say to the world that Italy does not deserve executioners,, but civic rule and liberty. murder of Matteotti. By the depredations of a Modern Nero, Italy's genius was being stifled. Any word of encouragement that Australians could offer the liberty-lovers of Italy should not be withheld. If Mussolini or any of his satellites imagined that Australians would uphold and endorse Fascist tyranny they were in for an emphatic awak,ening-. The growing enlightenment of the masses haunting the tyrants was the hope of the world. Some day, for all time, they wot1ld see government of the people by the people for the people. (Loud applause). Mr. Blackburn, M.L.A., said, in reference to the letter from Mr. Watt, he had thought that as the death of Giacomo Matteotti was considered to be such a violent breach in the tn1dition which was universally honored, that a representative of the people in a Parliament was to be immune from molestation, an, appeal to a member of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Australia would have drawn from him keen interest in such an event as this, the commemoration of the death of a man who was struck down while engaged in discharging his public duties. Mr. Blackburn said he looked forward to the Italians gaining permanent constitutional liberty in Italy, with the world-wide advancement of the great bodies of the inhabitants of all countries, outside the privileged classes, towards political emancipation. Before such intellectual pro-
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