The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-01-21
THE SWISS REPUBLIC.
The Recent Election and the New p-as-

itt4nt.
=" tzeriand'S new president is
Cha les Emanuel &chenk, or. as his
German speaking fellow citizens say,
klFl Schenk. Two of his sons live in
the United States-une at Fort Smell,
the other at .}ernStAdt, Laurel county.
Ky, vi ere he founded a Swiss colony
Of immigrants from Berne. DIR. Diet
'lch, of Chicago, is son in-law of
the new president.
The vice president is Colone, Emil
Frey. who Was once Swiss minister to
the United States. Before he was
sent 10 Washington. Switzerland lad
been represented in the United States
by consul general. Colonel Frey
retniued home about three years ago
and has since been active in politics.
He has been II member of the Swiss
national congress at varions times,
and from 1875 to 1876 he was rresi-
don't of the senate. He looks like
soldier. as he is. Colonel Fey has
just passed his fifty fourth year
President elect Schenk, who bears
| the academic title of "dnctor," began
active life as Il clergyman, ont quit
TIN church 10 cHtcr politics. He is
now nearly seventy years Of age and
has been prominent since 1850. From
1897 to 1868 he was Il member Of the
federal council from the canton of
Berne, and IL 1862 he became vice
president. Between 1865 and 1880
he was five times president Of the
| Swiss confederation. He becam. min
lister of ,he interior in 1891 and was
| vice president during 1892. He is
! tall broad shouliered, we'll made man
Of excellent education, and he has a
| high reputation throughout Switzer-
land as public speaker. His home
is at Berne, where he is now living
with his second wife.
{ The president and vice president
are really only first aud second lresi-
ding officers of the national cabinet, q
body which, with these tive officers
numbers seven. They are chosen
late in December of each year by the
two houses of congress and take Of
flee on the first of January to serve
| for one year. The houses of coLgress
are the sci ate, of forty-f four mem Ders,
and the house ut representatives, Of
AZ members. Ihe Swiss call the two
houses handenrath, or state council,
and natlonalrath, or national council,
and the two together are called bun
des-versammlnng, or federal assem-
bly,.
he president Of the Swiss canfed-
Grafton has neither great power nor
much patronage He must sign all
bills passed, but he cannot veto u
N asare. Few appointments are i'll
his hands, and his salary is under
IS 600 a year. That of the vice pres
ident, as OF the other members of the
bundesrath, is about 80, 400 Year.
The president may not serve for two
consecutive terms. He may not in
terfere with the affairs of the ihdivid
ual cantOns, each Of which has its own
governor and Legislature, like the
states of the American Union. There
is Il government building at Bcrne tol
the meetings of the two Legislative
houses, but no residence is provided
for Il president. So simple are all
the federal affairs of Switzerland that
there is scarcely any formally when
the president assumes office. Ii.
merely takes the oath at the meeting
of the seven ministers. and there is II,
excitement and little interest at thu
advent Of il new admin atration.