Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-07
HAPPY SWITZERLAND.
The Extent to Which It's People
Enjoy Home Rule.
A Country Where Every Citizen Is n Leg
islator and No Act of Government Be
comes n Law Until 1t Has Received
the Popular Approval.

OF the Swiss confederation are the same az
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 immemorial 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 mountain plain to accept
or reject by show of hands the laws laid
before them by the communal councils. In
these radical democracles the right of
initiative belongs to every citizen, he who
conceives 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. 1t is re-
garded as in state en- petit. 1t really ex-
erclses the powers that NJ. de Tocqueville
mistakenly attributed to the American
township. 1t is jealous of interference by
the state. 1t does not part with the ad-
ministration of it's forests police, roads,
schools, churches or asvlums until the
point is reached where the interest of the
state manifestly take the place of locality.
Through the refe erendum of the popular as
semblages of the purely democratic COM
munes every citizen becomes legislator,
his voice and vote directly Influencing the
decision of public questions. Yet even the
communes having representative govern
ment the referendum may be invoked so
readily that the people hold control in de-
talls. Within year on the official bulletin
boards Of commune in Geneva was posted
a printed notice announcing that, unIess
vote of the people to the contrary was
called for, professor in one of the colleges
would be preser ted by the communal coun-
Gil with an honorarlum of S240.
The constitution of the canton of Geneva
provides that the people may sanction or re-
ject not only the laws passed by the can
tonal legislature, but the orders issued by
the cantopal legislative and executive pow
ers. The exceptions TO the 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 new tax, in
creaslng tax already existing, or necessi-
tates a 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 ofa law or order the question OF, adoption
L
people. The vote on the refer endum must
take place within forty days after the thirty
days just mentor ed. Thus all the functions
of a direct democracy lie with the citizens
of the canton in general, save that Of delib-
Grafton in ASSEMBLY.
Under the Swiss constitution 10000 citi-
zens, or a majority in eight cantons, may
demand a popular vote on any federal law
whatsoever and on any order emanatinC
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 nlnety
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-
eide whether it's constitution shall be re-
vised. The federal constitution may be re-
vised at any time. On the petition of 56, 600
voters-about one twelfth of the total vote
or in case either house of the federal as
sembly (Congress) demands a revision, the
question whether it shall take place Is sub
mitted to the country,
The records of the referendum are curl
Gus, inasmuch as they show the frequency
1, oh, ho hov had IN
it and the tenacity with which the democ.
racy has clung 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 men,
bers OF which were elected by universal
suffrage were vetoed by national vote. In
1880 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-
tion, the last time by majority OF 5000 in
a vote of 11.200. Twice since 1S47 the same
canton has voted not TO increase the salary
of the members of its executive council, and
IL has since QeCllneu 10 TGuuC0 Iu6 HuulD6T
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-
tion.
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
parusans Of centrali7ation, who had pre-
seuted the programme of ''an army and
law" went down before a majority of
6,00O. Only two years later, however, the
present constitution was adopted, religious
questions connected with it arousing a
strong feeling. 1t was adopted by vote Of
$40. 900 against 19S, 900, the Catholic cantons
throwing 1eavy maIoriues against il, as it
suppr essed converts and the Order of
Jesulls In Switzerland. In 1878 in the mat
ter OF the st. GJtnard tunI ell subsidy the
SWISS people showed their capacity 70 ap-
preclate questions of broad policy. Al
though the granting Of the subsidy put a
,,pc,, tho kat1onal raaourcaa and the