Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-06
SWITZERLAND.
The Extent to which It's Peopls
Enjoy Home Rule.
A Country where Every citissn IL . Leg
islator and No Act Of Government Ne"
comes Law Until IL Has Recsived
the Popular Approval.

those Of the United States, save that the
commune performs the functions Of Dotn
township and county. The citizens OF
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 rel
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,
Glsris, SchwyE, Appenzell and Unterwad
the citizens meet, as did their fathers be-
fore them, in the town market-plaoe or In
the open air on . mountain plain 70 accept
or reject by q show OF hands the laws laid
before them by the communal councils. In
these radical democracies the right OF
initiative belongs 10 every citizen, he who
conceives q law having the opportunity 70
present 1t and explain II at meeting OF his
fellow electors. The Swiss commune u a.
nearly autonomous ~ IL consistent with
oantonal and federal rights. It 10 re-
garded as In q state en- petit. II really ex-
ercises the powers that NJ dc TocQuevule
mistakenly attributed 70 the American
township. 1t is jealous of interference by
the state. 1t does not part with the ad-
ministration Of its forests, police, roads,
schools, churches or asylums until the
point ia reached where tho interest Of the
state manifestly take the place Of locality.
Through the refe rendum of the popular as
~ AamAara1i0 n
munes every citizen becomes legislator,
his voice and vote directly influencing the
decision Of public questions. Yet sven the
communes having representative govern
| ment the referendum may be invoked SO
readily that the people hold control in do
| tails. Within year on the oficiAl bulletin
boards Of o commune In Geneva was posted
| a printed notice announcing that, unless
vote of tho people TO the contrary was
called for, professor In one Of the oolleRea
| would be presented by the communal coun-
ell with an honorarium Of 500.
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 cantonHl legislative and executive DOW
era. The exceptions 70 the exercise Of the
cantonal referendum are laws declared 70
be ''of urRence" by the Legislature and
those relating TO the annual budget, except
ing when the latter establish new tax, In
creasing q tax already existing, or necesGi-
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 oficial 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 the thirty
days Just mention cd. Thus all the functions
Of q direct democracy lie with the citizens
of the canton In general, save that OF delib-
GRAFTON IN assembly.
Under the Swiss constitution 30, 600 citI-
xens, or . majority in eight cantons, may
demand popular vote on any federal law
whsuoever and on any order emanstinC
from the legislative or executive power
which Is OF general import or Is not urgent
In character The petition OF the federal
days after the publication OF the law or
order.
The cantonal and federal constitutions
are also subject TO revision on n 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-
vised. The federal constitution may be re-
visod at any time. On the petition Of 80, 600
voters-nbout onetwelfth OF the total vote
or In case either house Of the federal as
sembly (Congressl demands revision, the
| question whether 1t shall take place is sub
mitted 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
il and the tenacity with which the democ-
rAcy hAa clung to tho conservative Gus
toms In tho hfty-nve years from lAoo TO
| 1894 the referendum wAA reaorted TO IN
| Berne sixty times. In the ak years from
| lS1A 70 1880 ave measures recommended by
the federal executive and paAsed 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 rovise the federal consti-
tuition 30 as TO change the regulations OF
the issues of bank notes wGs rejected by a
majority of $4,000 In 18oa, and again
In 1873, the people Of tho canton Of Geneva
| rejected q proposed change In its constitu-
ton, the last time By a majority Of 5000 in
q vote Of ll,eo0. Twice since ls4T the same
canton has voted not 10 increase the salary
Of the members Of its executive council, and
il has since declined 20 reduce the number
| OF members from seven 70 ave The two
ErcnCu CAnbohh OF GENEVA and NeuchAtel,
which only entered the confederation In the
present oSntury, adopted tho re terentum ON
the Avowsd ground OF It's efficiency a. a
check 70 hAsty and ineonsiderAte legisla-
! zion.
On the other hand, the Swiss people have
shown no blind diAliko OF ohAnge or fear Of
ssttling once and for all questions OF the
gravost character. A constitution sub
mitted 70 thom in lS52, the work OF the
partsana OF Capitalization, who had pre-
secuted the programme Of ''An army and .
law went down before a majority OF
eoo0 Only two years later, however, the
present constitution Was adopted, reASiOas
questions connected with Il ArouSinR a
stroag feeling. hwAs adopted by a vote OF
$4,000 against tpS,0 0OO, the Catholic cantous
throwing heavy mAlorues against Il, a. Il
suppressed converts and the Order OF
JesunS In Switzerland In 1873 In the mat
ter OF the ~ GolhArd tunnsl subsidy ths
Swiss people showed their capacity 10 Ap-
prSclate questions Of broad policy. Al.
though the granting Of the subsidy put a
strain apon The National resources aud the
enterprise WAS adverse 70 the lOoAl inter
ests ot oantons, half million VOtera went
N the polls on wretehed day IN midWinter
and two thirds Of them voted YEA
haFaalsss nyuAanits lsol.abs.
40 Amerscan Was arrested On the Au..