Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-05

d;,ections. that laws are actually enacted
hv nopular vote. the cantonai assemblies
simply suggesting statutes 20 DO submitted
TO tho people before they become opera
s;o,,a, Int At the least one of the regular
and ordina ~ modes Of framing laws.
MAKING Hen RICH.
Tho Growing tide of travel IL, as we have
s.;d making Switzerland rich. and she Is
snend;ng her wealth not only in perfect
inc her internal communications, but in
foTtifying her boundaries. But for the
actual. historic achievements OF the Ro-
mans. aud of Hannibal, and Napoleon. her
mountain passes would appear to be Inn
passable enough, at least TO an
army. as God and nature made them;
vet sbe is strengthening them with
marvellous engineering and tremen-
dnns energy. notably the st. Gothard be-
tween Ander,natt and Gosdeenen. Two or
three battles have been fought at that
noint bnt / predict that the next foreign
army that files through that pass
will do 40 with SwItzerland's per-
mission or will leave very large
proportion of its assaulting force before
the works that il carries; we saw the
Swiss troops in their annusl encnmpments
and manceuyres and thought well of them.
The spirits of Winkelried ana Of Tell are
not dead. Their statues and monuments
grace the cities and the shores OF the lakes.
and tho stout-hoarted mountalneers hang
pictures of them on the walls of their
humble chslets.
PRISON REFORM.
The more intelligent Swiss whom we
have met in the cities merchants, manu-
fscturers, government officers and men OF
l. ratk Az L "a In
people. Nv friend. one of the leading
scientific men of our own country, was ie-
eidedly impressed with their scientific
professors and apparatus, and particularly
with their establishments for the manu-
facture of such apparatus. L had letters
which brought Us in contact to some ex-
tent with their public officers, particularly
those connected with the Department OF
Justice. in which direction some OF
the cantons seemed to be especially we'll
organized, and l certainly have seldom
met with men who seemed to combine IN
higher degree broad and humane views
with executive decisions and adminlstra-
tiye ability. Their penal institutions also,
several of which we carefully Inspected,
appear to be organized upon the soundest
and most definitely Christian principles,
and In the light Of the ripest and widest
experience. and to be conducted with the
most practical and minnie care ana tnrlit;
cannot but hope that these visits VIII yet
bear practical fruit in the work OF prison
reform in Virginia.
One thing which especially struck us
was the surprising familiarity which some
of these gentlemen showed with our Ameri--
can institutions and constitutions, and
you will remember how largely the Swiss
Confederation figures in the debates
which preceded the adoption OF our red
eral Constitution. trust that the sincere
patriotism of the remark will atone for ITS
seeming partisanship if | add that 1T has
been exquisitely grateful to me, as
an American citizen, a Democrat.
and southern man, to note how
broadly and fairly most Of the intelligent
men have met in Europe view the histo-
~ and results of our civil war, and how
thew unite a very high and reyerent es-
TEEN tor the Constitution and Govern
ment Of the United States with very low
and rather contemptuous estimation OF the
craftsmanship CD which is just now run
ming the machine" ROBERT SIlLLs.