Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1889-07-15
HAPPY SWITZERLAND.
TAs Uxxszk 60 WAicn grs Poopss
UE5oy Homs Ras~
a cs@s<<y wsszs EssEs c1kiz~s 10 |. Leg
ts&s<s< ~~a Ne Al - G1ssra.ss1t Bs-
ssAs~s . Law Csszl "a a.s Reserved
tHs fsSGi.s ARs<ss~&


sessaoor1soa .Es grouped "A tGs govern
neat If coalE2zss r-sioa2i irtsrssts
h7ss slsea riss - tas e4@t0a; tie federal
government aaIlss tas 1Ao.e ssopis- A
csrrsspo2GeEE OF Geneva writes; Io Wa.
sxlest ale sslss 4goy Eene rus 4na nes
LIZ he psep-s g9ssFz themselves directly
utay - seea A lie operations 81 tAs ref
ereac4a Ia sash dlElsl0a If tbs state, AID
IA the cS1 poslEi0a II tae ea1soaAl AID fed
srAi sx>c1tlye powers
In oae farm OF ether ths SYSTEM Of the
refersadGa ass prevailed IA some parts OF
sSitEeFssad fEon time tEnHeIaorlAL 10
tnss day IN ln41y Of the coE21unes Of Uri
Gl.xss. Scnuyz, ADpeazell and Usterwal1
the citiEsas meet, a. dla their fathers be-
fore thsEn, IN the eowl ma xet- place or il
tie open ar % . nsaRr2la pain u accept
or reject by sAos Of haaGs the laws I'D
before them BY ths communal councils. Ia
these radical deIEocrssies the RICH. Of
initiative belongs - every citizen, 10 who
ceaesiycs . law Esvsag sas erlC1ity 70
preseAsit aud explain j, Al = meeting VI his
fslo. electors. fas Swiss commune is -
nearly autonomous a. Is consistent with
c4atonai AID federal rightS IL is re-
gArced an IN "A state en- petit IL really OK
sreises the powers that NJ &c TocquevAle
mistakenly attributed 70 the American
township. Il 10 jealous CT interference by
the state IL does not part with ths sd-
uinlssrstsea Of its forests police, roads,
schools, churches or asylgms until the
point - reached where the interest Of the
state manifestly take the place OF locality.
Through the referendum or the popular as
senblages Of tho purely Democratic com
men-s every citizen becomes legislator,
n
decision Of public questions. Yet even tho
communes having q representative govern
ment the referendum may be invoked so
readily that the people hold control in de-
tails Within year on the Official bulletin
boards Of . commune in Geneva was posted
q pyinted notice announcing that, unless
ev0te Of the people to tho contrary was
called for, professor ia one OF the colleges
would DO presented by the communal coun-
ell with an honorariIm of $40.
The constitution of the canton OF Geneva
provides that the people may sanction or re-
lect not only the laws passed by the can
tonai legislature, but the orders issued by
the cantonal legislative aud executive pow
ers- The exceptions To tho exercise OF the
cantonai referendum arc laws declared 10
BE- ''of argence" by the legislature and
those relating TO the annual budget, except
ing when the latter establish = new tax, in
creasing tax already existing, or necessi
tates . call for public loan. On the de-
mand Of gt least $500 voters-about one in
four OF the total number In the canton
within thirty days after the official publica-
ton OF . law or order the question Of adoption
or rejection must DO submitted to the
people The vote on the referendum must
take place within forty days after the thirty
days Just mentioned. Thus all the functions
OF direct democracy lie with the citizens
Of tho canton in general, save that Of DELHI
GRAFTON in assembly.
Under the Swiss constitution 80, 600 citi-
zens, or a majority IN eight cantons, may
demand q popular vote on any federal law
whatsoever and on any order eInanating
from the legislative or executive power
which is Of general import or Is not urgent
Ia character. The petition Of the federal
referendum must b. made within ninety
days after the publication OF the law or
order.
The cantonal and federal constitutions
are also subject 20 revision on a vote OF the
people. The voters OF the canton OF Geneva
are called upon every fifteen years to de-
eide whether its constitution shall be re-
viscd. Tue federal constitution may be re
vised at any time. On the petition OF so 600
voters about one-twelfth of the total vote
or in case either house Of the federal as
sernbly (Congress) demands . revision, the
question whether it shall take place is sub
nitted to the country.
The records Of the referendum are curl
Gus, inaSmuch Is they show the frequency
with which the people have had recourse TO
il aud the tenacity with which the democ-
racy has clung TO the conservative Gus
toms In the ffty-five years from 1862 to
1874 the referendum was resorted to IN
Berue sixty times In the six years from
1874 20 1850 tve measures recommended by
the federal executive and passed by both
houses Of the federal assembly, the mem
bers of which were elected by universal
suffrage. were vetoed by q national vote. In
1850 proposal 10 revise the federal consti-
tuition as TO change the regulations OF
the issues Of bank notes was rejected by q
majority OF 134, 600. Ia 1sG2, and again
in 1875. the people of the canton Of Geneva
rejected proposed change in Its const;tu-
ton, the last time By majority OF 5000 in
a vote Of il.2oo. Twice since Is47 the same
canton has voted not TO increase the salary
OF the members OF its executive council. and
il has since declined to reduce tho number
Of members from seven TO five The two
Preach caatoas of Geneva and Neuchatel.
which only entered the confederation ia the
present century, adopted the referendum on
the ayowed ground Of its efficiency "a a
check 10 hasty and inconsieers:e legisla-
ton.
On The other hand. the Swiss people have
shown no blind dislike Of change or fear Of
settling once and for al questions Of the
gravess character. A constitution sub
nisted TO them ia Is72. tho work Of the
psrtissns Of Capitalization, who had pre-
scented the programme Of San army and q
law went down before a majority O,
500. Only two years later, however. the
present constitution was adopted, religious
questions connected with IL srOGai1g n
strou z feeling. II vas adopted by a vote Of
2a0. coo against 19S, coo. the Catholic ca1tons
throwinx heavy maloritles against is, IS IL
81 oppressed converts and the Order OF
JesHits IA Switzerland. In 1878 In the INST
ter OF the S. Gothard tunnsl subsidy the
: swiss people showed their capacity 20 sp-
preciats questions OF broad pchcy- Al
thouxh the granting. OF the subsidy put
strain upon tia National resources and the
enterprise was adverse % the local inter
ests OF csntsrs, Rslf million voters veat
u the polls on wretcaed DAY IN miiwil.er
and .~o-thsrds % them vcts5 Yes"
Harmless p7Rarsfts bombs.
An Araerican was arrested ca tee AS
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