The Forrest City times., 1891-05-22
A MIXED UP REPUBLIC.
A CONFEDERATION OF MANY
 LITTLE REPUBLICS.
S~'pe Interesting Information Concern .ng the Little European Mountain Crowded Corner-A Cheap
 President,

inefe are not UlhDy Oi our ftduerS, probably, who are at all familiar with the history aud present political con- dition of Switzerland They have seen pictures of its glorious lakes and mountains; they know that it is one of the famous play-grounds of the worlds holiday makers. they have heard the legend of William Tell and know that the country he helped to liberate Is free republic; but there arc many other good points ci interest which it is worth while to sketch.
 The twenty-two little republics com prisiug the confederation which we call Switzerland are. together, about twice as large as New Jersey or Mas sachusetts, and contain three million people. Their mountain land has played but very little part in the his tory of Europe. Ever since the Swift gers freed themselves from the rule of the dukes of Austria, in the fourteenth century they have been comparative ly little concerned in the moves on the chessboard of empires. Unlike little Belgium. which has, been the football of contending powers, Switzerland has maintained her independence and suf- fered little from outside interference. But contrary to the proverb which says Happy is the country without history she has frequently been the scene of political changes and even bloody internal dissensions.
 These have mainly risen from tho marked differences of race. language and religion to be found within Switzer- lands narrow border. She is in fact, almost as mixed" country as Austro- Hungary. and short railroad ride will take the traveller into region appar- ently quite distinct from that in which
 he started. There is German Switz- erland French Switzerland. an Italian Switzerland. and a fourth that is unlike all three. German Switzerland is the largest, including about half of the
 whole country. French Switzerland is strip along the western border. in- cluding Geneva and Neuchatel The canton of Tieino (pronounced Techee- no) and part of Grisons, lying on the southern slope of the great Alpine barrier, form Italian Switzerland In another part of Grisons the language of the natives is Romanish. or Engha- dine. As to religion, the Italian Swiss are catholics almost to man; in the rest of the country the protestants have n majority of pretty nearly two to one
 though seven Of the German eantons are almost exclusively catholic. The history of Switzerland during the present century may be briefly summarized thus: Napoleon recos-
 nized the independence ot the ropub- lie. and enlarged its territory. When
 his power declined there cnsued a
 period of civil war between the cau- tons, but when the map of Europe was
 revised, after the battle of Waterloo. Switzerland was established with it's
 present borders, and the great powers
 agreed to regard ifs territory as for
 ever neutral and inviolahle. In 1880 there were disturbances due to the de. mand for moro liberal institutions. and in lS4T the question of the expulsion
 rf the jesuits brought on an armed re- belllon of the seven catholic cantons, headed by Lucerne. The federal troops won the battle of Gislikon. and suppressed therevolt. The constitution
 was then revised. and the bonds be- tween the cazftuns made stronger. The constitution was again revised in 1874, and is now not unlike that ef the United States. Tbe federal legss- lative body consists Of national council of HAS members, elected for three years by all the male citizens above the age of twenty, and council of states with 44 mempers-two from each canton. These two bodies elect from their own members the heads of the other hanches of the government the president vice president the federal council or cabinet consisting of seven members and the nine judges of the federal court.
 Each of the cantons has also it's os-n government. In four of the smallest this consists of general assembly ot all the citizens. who meet once year
 10 make laws, levy taxes. and elect the
 necessary officers. In the other can
 tons there Is a grand council, ehosS
 by the people, which elects from iss own members the executive officers or little council.
 The government of Switzerland has become generally famed for its simplio- ity efficiency and econnmy. The rep u,ation for tke latter quality is certain ay deserved, as its president draws salary of only $2. TOO. But the recent ecvere disturbances in the canton oi 7lcino. of which our readers will prob ably remember reading in the newspa- hSnrs. show thas public order is not al ways secure even in land where mili- tary monarchies are unknown ArTosy.