Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-05-22
A MIXED UP REPUBLIC.
A CONFEDERATION OF MANY
LITTLE REPUBLICS.
Some Interesting Information Concern
Ing the Little European Mountain
Crowded Corncr-A Cheap
President.

the history and present political con-
dltion of Switzerland. They have
seen pictures of its glorious lakes and
mountains; they know that it is one
Of the famous Fairgrounds 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
are many other good points OF interest
which il is worth while to sketch.
The twenty-five little republics com
prising the confederation which we
call Switzerland are, together, about
twice rs 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
zers 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 ano suf
fered little from outside interference.
But contrary to the proverb which
says Happy is the country without a
history" she has frequently been the
scene of political changes and even
bloody internal discussions.
These have mainly risen from the
marked differences of race, language
and religion to be found within Switzer-
! -, 20
almost as mixed a country rs Austro-
Hungary, and a short railroad ride will
take the traveller into a region appar-
entity quite distinct from that in which
he started. There is a German Swift
erland. French Switzerland. m 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
Guiding Geneva and Neuchatel. The
canton of Ticino pronounced Techee-
no) and a 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
a majority of pretty nearly two to one,
though seven of the German cantons
are almost exclusively catholic
The history of Switzerland during
the present century may be briefly
summarized thus: Napoleon recog-
nized the independence OF the repub-
lie, and enlarged its territory. When
his power declined there cusued a
period of civil war between the can
tons, but when the map OF Europe was
revised, after the battle of Waterloo,
! Switzerland was established with its
! present borders and the great powers
agreed to regard its territory as for
ever neutral and inviolable. In 1880
there were disturbances due to the de-
mand for more liberal institutions, and
| in 1917 the question of the expulsion
OF the jesuits brought on an armed re-
belhon of the seven catholic cantons,
headed by Lucerne. The federal
troops won the battle of Gisikon, and
suppressed the revolt. The constitution
was then revised, and the bonds be-
tween the cantons made stronger.
The constitution was again revised
in 1874, and is now not unlike that of
the United States The federal legis-
lative body consists OF national
council of l45 members, elected for
three years by all the male citizens
above the age of twenty, and a council
/ 1T a A
each canton. These two bodies elect
from their own members the heads OF
the other branches of the government
the president, vice-prcsident the
federal council or cabinet, consisting
of seven members, and the nine Judges
of the federal court.
Each of the cantons has also its own
government. In four of the smallest
this consists of general assembly of
all the citizens, who meet once year
to make laws, levy taxes, and elect the
necessary officers. In the other can
tons there is a grand council, chosen
! by the people, which elects from its
own members the executive officers or
little council.
The government of Switzerland has
become generally famed for its simplic-
ity efficiency and economy. The rep
utation for the latter quality is certain
ly deserved, as its president draws n
salary of only 81, 700. But the recent
severe disturbances in the canton of
Ticino, of which our readers will prob
ably remember reading in the newspa-
pers, show that public order is not al
ways secure even in land where mill
tary lnonsrchies are unknown. The
Argosy.