94	THE   RISE   OF   ITALIAN   FASCISM
It was the dream of Lassalle turned into a genuine bill
which the socialists were to introduce and support in the
Chamber. Consequently the agrarian revolution depended
on the governmental majority. But the socialists formed no
part of this majority and would not or could not approach
the government. Moreover the rapporteur, to defend himself
against criticism from the left, which denounced the bill for
c drugging revolutionary spirit' and for providing an expro-
priation indemnity, took care to explain that the securities
given to the ex-proprietors c can easily be kept in sight,
despite change of ownership, and confiscated when com-
munism triumphant judges it opportune to tax them
further or to annul them '. Since it was out of the question
for the Chamber to pass such a bill, the principles behind
it should at least have been used to compel further action
on the part of the masses, who were set on agrarian revolu-
tion. But the bill had been drafted precisely to replace
direct pressure from the people by a gradual and legal
conquest; no means of enforcing it had been considered,
nor of attaining the same goal by different means in the event
of failure. Apart from this the bill, at least for the time being,
practically left out the peasants of the south, and made no
provision for the small proprietor, who could not add to his
portion, even if it were insufficient; while the farmers and
mezzadri had to give up all hope of owning their land, since
expropriation affected them equally with their landlords.
At best, if the act took effect during the agricultural year,
they would be left alone till the end of the year, then expelled
with no corresponding indemnity. Their only hope was to
become proletarian members of the agricultural co-operative,
formed by others, which was to work the land. This meant,
in the immediate future, complete loss of independence and
forfeiture of all their rights. So the bill succeeded in being
too revolutionary ever to get through parliament, while
it left out of the revolution, and even forced into opposition,
millions of peasant families, the great majority of Italy's
rural population.
Out of 280 communes in Emilia 223 were in socialist
hands. The landowners, living in town or country, with
their sons, their friends, their contractors, and their cus-