Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-07

far resorteda 10 open violence, put violent
demonstrations twill become imminent In
case the strike b on cooperative proper
tions. AS the ilstemper roots in the unequal
distribution of faborers, the attention OF
British statesmen must be directed to meas
ures OF redistribution. That under proper
laws work could be found for every willing
hand seems to us evident. England has n
vast area of uncultivated land at nome and a
vet greater area in its colonial possessions.
Were the uncultivated lands 10 England re-
leased from their present holdings and con-
verted into small farms purchasable at fair
prices, no doubt the gavitation of workless
persons toward the great cities would bo
checked. We're sthe colonial lands dstrib-
utable under such homestead act as ours,
thousands would go ID the colonies and farm
their own acres. But this remedy would
only apply 20 the future. Present mischief
is probably beyond repair. large body of
London laborcrs could not be induced TO en-
gage in agricultural pursuits, and would IL
induced be worthless But other thousands
not yet demoralized by London life might be
saved from that fate. This remedy involves
such radical departure that it may be re-
gardcd wholly probematical, and probably
impracticablc during the present century.
-.
The Independent attitude recently as
sumed by the Swiss government with refer
ence to the complaint of Germany as to the
encouragement of socialists has directed un-
wonted attention to the little republic. The
chief feature of Swiss government is to be
found in its division into cantons and com
munes, which may be said to represent re-
spectively our state and county governments.
The restrictions that are placed upon the
federal authority are deserving of study.
While the federal government is in theory
supposed to be absolute within its own do
main, 1t has not the power to enforce Its de-
crees upon an obiecting anton, although the
latter may generally be brought to terms by
the threat of occupying it with the military
forces of another canton. Besides, every
law adopted by the national assembly or the
national council has to be referred to the
people for approval or rejection. Indeed to
such an extent does this idea of the sover-
eighty of the people enter into the
governmental system that any cit-
zen, whether simple voter or representative,
has u right to submit law to the national
assembly and to demand that 1T shall be
acted upon. Strangely enough this right is
seldom asserted, although one shudders to
think what would be the result if each voter
should decide 10 try his "'prentice hand" at
law-making Although the reference of all
laws to the vote of the people might nat
| urally be supposed to lessen the influence of
the national assembly, yet it has peen found
to act as wholesome check on the radical
majority in the assembly. Another effect is
to do away with any such thing as party
government. No matter what the result of
the appeal to the people might be. the men,
bers of the government serve out their term.
The heads of departments are not interfered
with by elections, and subordinate officers
generally retain their places in spite of a
change of government. The salaries for the
higher offices, however, are low, and not
every one can afford to fill them. Taken al
together, the system of government appears
to be eminently conservative, the intense
patriotism of the people being a factor in
preserving the general equilibrium.
~
The statement that Germany is endeavor-
ing to strike up an alliance with Portugal is
hardly TO be accepted without qualification; !;
for although Prince Bismarck is devoting
himself just now to that kind of statecraft,
and Portugal!mIght furnish him with few
war vessles in case OF need vet the Portu-
guese are not likely to enter into engage
ments relating to the European balance of
power, where the Iberian peninsula is not
Immediately concerned. There is one mat
ter, however. which Germany and Portugal
have in common, or rather in competition,
that might well be made the subject of
treaty; and, possibly, out of that the rumor
of alliance arises. Both on the east and
west coast of Africa, south of the equator,
ba al ooft tba t,yn ,;n,
adioin, and to some extent their claims to
sovereignty conflict, so that they ought to be
settled by positive agreement. England is a
a third party in the territorial conflict; and
there was report recently that in the Del
agoa bay railway controversy the Germans
were backing up the Portuguese against the
British, with a view to circumscribing the
African power of the latter. No doubt there
was an opportunity for a diplomatic trade of
some sort in that business, but it has already
been peaceably concluded, and in view
of Prince Bismarck's utterances about the
Emin Pasha expedition, it is doubtful
whether he would have ever antagonized
England for Portugal's sake.
~
In the countries of western Europe, where
forestry has been studied for ages and the
perils. of deforestaton are recognized by all
enlightened men, there are stringent regula-
tions that prevent the destruction that with
us wastes at monday unrestrained. The
overthrow of tree on the side of noun
tain in Switzerland is regarded as a crime
equal TO setting fire to a house. There must
be intelligent authorization before the benefi-
cent growth OF many years, and often cen
turtles, can be stricken down; and while tho
woodman under pains and penalties spares
the tree, the peasants cultivate shrubbery to
prevent depressions from becoming ravines,
and protect their strips of fertile land along
the rivers from being overwhelmed by tine
wash that otherwise would free avalanches
of lonsened stones from the mountain sides.
One travelling through Germany, not already
informed, is astonished at the extent of the
forests, the endless array of trees by the
roadsides, the systematic cultivation of
shrubbery, often groves of lovely willows by
the streams, and the growth Of grasses where
there is a liabilityof loss of the soil, aud the
careful plowng that is done so that the rain
may not scrape off the rich earth from the
hillsides. The same instructive observations
may be made, though hardly to AS great an
extent, in FranGe.2 In England the preserya-
tinn of timbe ia n matter of pride az well as