Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-05-12

The people in our pension, who
were so intelligent and well informed
about other things, bore witness to the
great security of the state, and the
tranquility Of the Swiss mind getier-
ally concerning politics, by their ignor-
Rnce OF the name of their existing
President. They believed he was d
man of the name of Schultz; but it ap-
peared that his name was not at all
Schultz, when we referred the matter
to our pasteur. 1t was from him, in
deed, that l learned nearly all l knew
of Swiss politics, and it was from his
teaching that became a conservative
partisan in the question, then before
the voters, of national tree-school
law. The radicals, who, the past eur
said, wished Switzerland to attempt
the role "grdnde nation" had brought
forward this measure in the Federal
Legislature, and it was now, according
to the sensible Swiss custom. to be sub
United to popular vote. 1t provided
for the establishment of national
bureau of education, and the cohserva-
tives protested against it as the enter
ing wedge OF GENERALIZATION in govern
ment affairs. They contended that in
country shared by three races and
two religious education should be left
as much as possible to the several cam
tons, which in the Swiss constitution
are equivalent to our States. / am hap
Ply to say that the proposed law was
overwhelmingly defeated; 1 am happy
because l liked the pasteur so much,
though when l remember the sympa-
thetic bric-a brac dealer at Vevay, who
was a Radical, but who sold me some
old pewters at very low price, can't
help feeling q little sorry too. How
ever, the Swiss still keep their old
school law, under which each canton
taxes itself for education, as our States
do, though al share in the advantages
of the universities, which are part of
the public-school system.
The parties in Switzerland are fortu-
nately not divided by questions of race
or religion, but the pas!eur owned
that the Catholics We're q difficult ele-
ment, and had to be carefully managed
They include the whole population CT
the italian cantons and part of the
French and German. In Geneva and
tO"Ho tllc
troub!esomely enters, and the Radicals.
like our Democrats, are sometimes the
retrograde party.
After divine service on election Sun.
day l went to the Croix Blanche for
my coffee, to pass the time till the vot-
ing should begin. On the church door
was posted printed summons to the
electors, and on the cafe billiard tables
found ballots of the different parties
scattered. Gendarmes had also distrib-
uted them about in the church pews
they were inclosed iii envelopes, which
were voted sealed. On table before
the pulpit the ballot box-a glass urn
was placed; and beside it sat the
judges of election, with lists of regis.
tered voters. But in any precinct oil
the canton an elector " no could prove
that he had not voted at home might
deposit his ballot in any other. The
church bell rang for the people to as.
semble, and voting began and ended in
perfect quiet. But could not witness
an election of this ancient republic,
where freedom was so many centuries
old, without strong emotion; it had
from its nature and the place the con-
secration of religious ite.-JVilliam
Dean HoWeUs, IN Ha1.ner's Magazine.