Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-12-06
A PURE DEMOCRACY.

But few people in this country have any
just conception of what pure democracy
is, or how laws are passed in countries
governed by that system. A correspon
dent of the New York Observer now in that
country, gives us the following interesting
account:
II SO ignorant was | of the forms of govern
ment existing in this part of the world, ]
did not know that six out of the twenty
two Cantons, or States of Switzerland, are
purely democratic in their government. 1t
is true that this is modified, in measure,
by their confederation with the Others and
that they have delegated to their general
government the power of declaring war,
coming money and regulating a system OF
mails. And, by the way, postage is cheap
er IN Switzerland than any country was
ever in five centimes, or one cent of our
money, conveying letter anywhere with
IN the country, and, in all the villages and
cities, delivering it at the residence of the
receiver. These several Cantons are, in 9TH
er matters, independent of each other, and,
IN times long past, have had fearfully
bloody wars among themselves. st. Calf
is at the foot of the hill five miles below
me, and is in canton of that name Up here
| am in Canton Appenzell. The road down
the hill has run with blood, like water, in
the fights between the people of these two
Cantons. They are at peace now, but from
father to son is handed down the story of
the wars
This Canton, containing a population of
about $4,000, is simple democracy, and
as primitive and pure as ever could have
existed in the earliest days of Greece or
Rome, before an oligarchy or a monarchy
was known, Here the people, all the males
over eighteen years old, actually assemble,
personally, and in one place, to choose the
necessary officers, and to make their own
laws, This popular meeting is held in April
every year, and on Sunday always.
On that day there is no preaching in any
church in the Canton, except the one where
the election is held. All the ministers come
with the people. At the close of the morn
ing service, the election is opened by pray
er, and then the people proceed to the dis
charge of this serious duty, the act of their
individual sovereignty. Every man wears
a sword by his side, token of his being a
freeman for, centuries ago, when serfdom
prevailed only freemen could vote and
d
on election day, for all are free.
The Canton is not so large but that they
can all come and return in the same day,
and, for the most part, they come on foot
1t is expected that they will all come And
where the power of voting is equally dis
| tributed in this way, and every man feels
that he is an equal part of the government,
there is little danger of any ones staying
away, who is physically able to come
They meet sometimes in one place. and
sometimes in another, but mostly in this
village of Trogen, on the public square
Here platform is erected, and the officers
chosen last year conduct the proceedings.
The landeman, or chief, presides, and the
clerk announces the name of any one nom
mated for public office All in favor hold
up their right hands. All opposed then do
the same If there is any doubt, count
would be resorted to, but that is never nee
essary. Office is not sought with any great
rapacity, and the people are not divided in-
to parties fighting for the spoils The sew
eral officers thus elected are charged with
the execution of the laws. A council is APP
pointed which meets, from time to time, in
the State House here, and consults in re-
gard to the internal affairs of the Canton
If any new legislation is necessary, they
frame the law, put it into print and copy
of it is then placed in every house in the
entire Canton. 1t is not yet a law it is
thus distributed that the people, who are
the lawmakers, may examine it, talk it
over among themselves and make up their
minds as to its expediency. If is of import
ance sufficiently pressing to require imme-
date action, meeting of the people may
be held four weeks after the law has been
proposed but generally this is avoided
by having the me .sures submitted to the
it, by the uplfted hand As ample time
has been given to the people to discuss the
matter, there is no call for long speeches,
nor would they be tolerated by an assem-
bly, that was bound to break up and get
home the same light. And the laws thus
adopted are put in force by the magistrates
appointed by the popular vote, and often at
the same time that the laws themselves are
adopted
Among the principal cares of such Off
GERS must be the construction and repairs
of the highways. o that our American peo-
pie would send a commission of their
country pathmasters over here Within the
last four years two of these Cantons, not so
large, and not tenth--no, not a twentieth
part so rich as Westchester and Dutchess
Counties, in New York, have built road
along the eastern side of Lake Lucerne,
that would do honor to Napoleon in the
days of his mightiest power. For miles it
is cut into the edge of solid rock, which
makes the bed of the road, and a parapet :;
sometimes it is tunneled, and once tun-
mel with window looking out on the lake
All the main roads are like those in Central
Park. All are made by the voluntary, self
imposed taxation of hard working people,
And SO far as l can judge, or learn this
community, so governed, is as happy as
any other. Whatever good government
can do for people is done for this, and the
people do it for themselves
Here is a problem for our study. The
greatest curse we labor under in America,
as things go at present, is the universal
suffrage which gives the control of our
elections to the demagogue, and the igno-
rant, vicious and venal populace at his
| heels If the evil ia not greater here thera