The Irish standard., 1889-07-20
HAPPY SWITZERLAND.
The Extent to Which It's People
Enjoy Home Rule.

A Country Where Every Citizen Is Leg
islator and No Act of Government Be-
comes Law Until 1t Has Received
the Popular Approval.
The political divisions and subdivisions
of the Swiss confederation are the same as
those of the United States, save that the
commune performs the functions Of both
township and county The citizens of a
neighborhood are grouped in the govern
ment of commune; regional interests
have given rise to the canton; the federal
government unites the whole people. A
correspondent Of Geneva writes: To what
extent the Swiss ENJOY home rule and how
far the people govern themselves directly
may be seen in the operations Of the ref
erendum in each division of the state, and
in the composition of the cantonal and fed
eral executive powers.
In one form or other the system of the
referendum has prevailed in some parts Of
Switzerland from time immemorlal. To
this day in many of the communes of Uri
Glaris, Schwyz, Appenzell and Unterwald
the citizens meet, as did their fathers be-
fore them, in the town market-place or in
the open air on a nou ntain plain to accept
or reject by show Of hands the laws laid
before them by the communal councils. In
these radical democracies the right OF
| initiative belongs to every citizen, he who
conceives q law having the opportunity to
present it and explain it at meeting of his
felloW-electors The Swiss commune is as
nearly autonomous as is consistent with
cantonal and federal rights It is re-
garded as in a state en- petit. It really ex-
ercises the powers that M. de Tocqueville
mistakenly attributed to the American
| township. 1t is jealous of interference by
the state. 1t does not part with the adj
! ministratiom of it's forests, police, roads,
! schools, churches or asylums until the
point is reached where the interest of the
state manifestly take the place OF locality.
Through the refe rendum of the popular as
| semblages of the purely democratic COM
punss every ci&zen becomes legislator,
his voice and vote directly influencing the
decision of public questions. Yet even the
| communes having a representative govern
! ment the refer may be invoked so
READILY that the people hold control in de-
tails W thin year on the official bulletin
boards Of a commune i, Geneva was posted
4 printed notice announcing that, unless
3 vote Of the people 60 the contrary was
called for, a professor in one Of the colleges
would be presented by the communal coun-
eli with an hGnorarium Of $24o
The constitution of the canton Of Geneva
provides that the people may sanction ORE
ject not only the laws passed b. the can
tonal Legislature, out the orders issued by
the csntonal legislative and executive pow
2rs. The exceptions to tie exercise OF the
cantonal referendum are laws declared to
be ':of urgence" by the legislature and
those relating to the annual budget, except
ing when the latter establish a new tax, in
creasing q tax already existing, Or necessi-
tates 81 call for public loan. On the de-
mand of at least $500 voters-about one in
four of the total number in the canton
within thirty days after the official publica-
ton of a law or order the question OF adoption
Or rejection must be. submitted to the
people, The vote on the referendum must
take place within forty days after tae thirty
Jays Just mentioned Thus all tine functions
Of direct democracy lie with the citizens
Of the canton in general, save that OF delib-
GRAFTON in assembly.
Under the Swiss constitution 30; 900 citi-
zens, or majority in eight cantons, may
demand popular vote on any federal law
whatsoever and on any order emanating
from the legislative or executive power
which is of general import or is not urgent
in character. The petition of the federal
referendum must be made within ninety
days after the publication Of the law or
order
The cantonal and federal constitutions
are also subject to revision on a vote Of the
people. The voters of the canton Of Geneva
are called upon every fifteen years to de-
itc it71t
yised. The federal constitution may be re-
vised at any time. On the petition Of Sc, 900
voters-about one twelfth of the total vote
or in case either house Of the federal as
sembly ICON gress) demands d revision, the
question whether it shall take place is sub
nlitted to the country.
The records Of the referendum are curl
Gus, inasmuch as they show the frequency
with which the people have had recourse to
it and the tenacity with which the democ-
racy has chung to the conservative Gus
toms. In the fifty five years from 1859 to
1924 the referendum was resorted to IN
Berne sixty times. In the six years from
1874 to 1880 five measures recommended by
the federal executive and passed by both
houses of the federal assembly, the mem
hers of which were elected by universal
suffrage, were vetoed by a national vote. In
1880 a proposal to revise the federal consti-
tuition so as to change the regulations of
the issues Of bank notes was rejected by a
majority of $4,000. In 1862, and again
in 1878, the people Of the canton OF Geneva
rejected proposed change in its constitu-
ton, the last time by majority Of 5000 in
a vote of ii 200. Twice since 1847 the same
canton has voted not to increase the salary
of the members Of it's executive council, and
it has since declined to reduce the number
Of members from seven to five The two
French cantons of Geneva and Neuchatel,
which only entered the confederation in the
present century, adopted the referendum On
the avowed ground Of its efficiency as a
check to hasty and inconsiderate legisla-
ton.
On the other hand, the Swiss people have
shown no blind dislike Of change or fear of
settling once and for all questions of the
gravest character. A constitution sub
mitted to them in 1872, the work of the
partisans of Capitalization, who had pre-
sented the programme of san army and a
law.n went down before a majority Of
5000, Only two years later, however, the
present constitution was adopted, religious
questions connected with it arousing g.
strong feeling. 1t was adopted by vote Of
$40. 600 against 19S, 600, the Catholic cantons
throwing heavy majorities against it, as it